Conference misery::feline

    We are having a heck of a time training Alex not to play with the
    Christmas tree (I wish Tiki were still around).  Last night we had to
    do something that we never, EVER had to do before...we barricaded the
    living room, so that (we thought) she couldn't get in.
    
    This morning, I saw her go over the barricade, and play with her
    scratching post...and leave the tree alone.  Show-off!
    
    * * * * *
    
    One of the sweetest things that a furball ever did for me...
    
    Before we were married, my husband lived in an apartment with his
    father and Tiki II.  One evening I was getting ready to go home, and I
    felt really sick.  I mean...REALLY sick.  
    
    I knew I couldn't make it to the bathroom, so I ran to the kitchen
    sink, and ****....
    
    As I was leaning over the sink, I felt a sympathetic hand patting my
    shoulder, like "there, there...you'll be OK".  I turned around,
    expecting to see my hub...and it was Tiki.  He had jumped up on the
    counter to see if I was all right.
    
    * * * * * 
    
    And every day Alex stands by the phone at some point in the day, so
    that my husband will call me, and she will purr in the phone to me.
    
    K.C.

    I purchased a rabbit foot keychain at the Canobie Lake
    outing.  The "boys" have discovered this, and keep
    trying to get it out of my pocketbook.
    Well, Tues morning they succeeded, and it was a frantic
    search through the house for my carkeys!!!!
    
    (found them on the couch, in the blanket...)

    Last night on Lifetime channel there was a movie on, I have no idea
    what it was about, but I believe it involved some less-than-friendly
    cats that had taken up residence in someone's basement and were
    psychically influencing the woman who lived there.  In one scene there
    was a cat, VERY ANGRY, growling and hissing at one of the characters. 
    Spike was so absorbed, the fur had started to rise on his back and he
    was staring at the TV!  Both of my dogs watch TV regularly, but spent
    these few moments watching Spike and backing out of the room!  Too
    funny!!!  When the scene changed, Spike looked around like "When did we
    get another cat?", hopped up onto the couch, and went to sleep. SO much
    stress...

    We were flipping through the channells last night too...and stopped
    at the same movie.  the name of the movie was STRAYS.
    
    Well my poor little Abby heard the angry growl/hiss and automatically
    got real low to the ground, ears back and crawled under the chair.
    The poor girl was so scared...we had to change the channel.
    
    Sandy

    I heard some animal rights group were protesting this movie
    because it's portraying cats in a bad light (i.e. assuming
    any stray cat can cause physical injury to people, etc.)
    They were afraid that people (children, especially) would start 
    abusing stray cats, after seeing the awful things they were 
    doing in the movie.
    
    Another movie they protested was "Problem Child".  I myself
    didn't much care for the coming attractions that showed a "brat"
    abusing his cat in the name of comedy (i.e. putting it in the
    dryer, breaking it's legs).  I failed to see the humor of watching
    a poor abused cat trying to walk with four casts on its legs.
    
    The people who do laugh at these movies (IMHO) are pretty sick...
    
    Pam

    My mom (a cat lover too) told me about the movie (Strays).  She is into
    horror films.  I wanted to watch simply to see the reaction of my cats
    when they saw these "beasts" on the screen.  Brings back memories of
    when we rented Milo and Otis and had at least two cats in the room
    watching TV with us!
    
    -Roberta
    

    This didn't happen today, but it's one of the funniest things my cats
    have done.  They were all playing and Skeeter came running down the
    hall, rounded the corner into the living room and then on into the
    kitchen.  She was going pretty fast.  Halfway into the kitchen she
    realized just how fast she was really going, so she sat down in an
    effort to stop and slid the rest of the way right into the stove, BOOM! 
    She gracefully picked herself up, shook her head a little bit and
    walked off with all the dignity she could muster up.
    
    Karen

    Karen, that was hysterical!  It presented such a clear mental image
    of skeeter that I was over here dying of laughter.  What a great
    recovery, though, to be able to get up so much dignity and saunter off! 
    
    Nancy

    I've said how my little darlings get me up if my alarm doesn't go off
    before 6:30.  OK...fine.
    
    But WHY, oh WHY did they have me up at 4:30 Wednesday morning?
    
    Because its CHRISTMAS!!!
    
    At around 4:10 Rico climbed on my back, lightly mewling and doing the
    old in-out with the claws.  When THAT didn't get me up, Alex added HER
    mewls and claws.  At 4:30ish, Alex pulled the last resort...she turned
    on my bed side lamp (brass touch lamp) to full lighting.
    
    So, we got up and opened our gifts.  What the heck, right?  :^)
    
    K.C.

    Poppy was very upset, because the present she had ordered for my
    daughter didn't arrive in time for Christmas. (Well, I actually ordered
    it for her, since I'm the one with the Amex card.) Poppy had requested
    I order a CD of Garrison Keillor singing Songs of the Cat from the
    Wireless catalog. I did, but it was backordered, and had not arrived
    by Christmas Eve. 
    
    On Christmas, we had opened all our presents, and I was in the kitchen
    getting dinner ready. Poppy was driving me nuts, alternating between
    sitting in front of the door crying to go outside and sitting between
    my legs and the kitchen cabinets. She had already gone out twice and
    begged to come back in because it was too cold, so I said, "No, cat,
    we're not going through this again."
    
    Well, she persisted in crying and scratching at the kitchen door, 
    not the garage door where she usually likes to go out. Finally, I said, 
    "All right, if you insist." I opened the door, and there, inside the 
    storm door, was a package with the CD that had been delivered by 
    Express Mail! I guess she heard the delivery person, and we didn't. 
    
    I was humbled, to say the least, and immediately went and wrapped the
    present. I haven't heard all of the songs, but the ones I've heard 
    are pretty funny. There's one called something like "Out in the 
    Catskill Mountains," which is about a cat's fantasy of paradise
    ("where the sofas all are comfortable and no one kicks you off").
    
    Poppy hopes I will take her more seriously from now on. 
    
    Kate
              

Kate's comments about Poppy wanting to go in and out all day really struck a
common chord for me.  With us home all day on Christmas, the kittens (almost
8 and 9 months old) went in and out all day (courtesy of us, of course!  Now I
really think we must get a cat door :-)).  Hemi is good (did I really say that?
don't tell her! :-)).  She'd sit outside forever and not let us know she wants
in.  Penny climbs up the weatherstripping that lines the door opening when she
wants in.  She must climb on the wood too, since we can hear her.  When I open
the door, I have to remove her from the side of the door, about 2 feet up
Needless to say, the weatherstripping is full of claw marks and holes.  When CJ
wants in, she just climbs up the wooden door, which is easy because of the
inset decorative paneling (now decorated with scratches) and noisy enough to
quickly gain our attention.  When I open the door, she's hanging about at eye
level, and looks down and jumps.  It looks so cute, I want to get it on film!

These critters have me so conditioned to do their bidding that this
morning as I was leaving for work and CJ was asking to go out, I almost
automatically opened the door for her, stopped just in time and realized what
was happening!

Jill

    Cleaning up the Xmas stuff over the weekend and putting things back in
    place I put a decorative Xmas shopping bag on the door handle in the
    kitchen to get it out of the way (I was going to fold it up and save it
    for next year).  So I completely open the door so the bag is to the wall
    and I forgot about it.  So I'm at the stove cooking and Stitch is
    sitting up on the Condo and I see this flash out the corner of my eye - 
    he takes a dive into the bag and of cours falls right through the
    bottom - splat on the kitchen floor - 13 lbs of kitty hits the deck. 
    Of course he couldn't figure out what happened or why we were all
    cracking up - he was very embarassed - puffed up his tail and stalked
    off to the end of the hall and turned his back to all of us and
    proceeded to yell at the closet door for about 5 minutes.
    
    
    Giudi + Pippin Gino & StITcH

Another bag story...I try to keep plastic bags away from my crew, especially
after the time Julie got caught in one.  Anyway, Biff managed to get hold of 
one, or should I say, one got hold of him.  I heard him rustling around in the
bag, but the next thing I knew, he was ripping through the house obviously
being attacked by the bag and obviously panic stricken.  He managed to
scare every other cat (including poor blind Beth) as he tore thru the house
trying to out run the bag.  I finally managed to grab the bag, which slipped
right off him, and he came to a screaming halt with the most incredible
look on his face...boy, was he looking for a fight!

Poor little Beth was so scared...I held her to calm her down and she was
trembling.  All the other brave warriors were hiding somewhere.  Poor babies...

Mary

    Adventure Number One:
    Several weeks ago, I was in the kitchen preparing dinner, when I heard
    an incredible clatter across the tile floor.  I turned around, and at
    first glance saw only our plastic watering can bouncing wildly around.... 
    then it occurred to me that there was a furry body attached to it.  Our
    then five-month old Maine Coon, MacBlue, had let his curiosity get the
    better of him, and had gotten his head stuck in the opening of the
    watering can.  Realizing he couldn't shake it off, he was bounding
    across the room in a panic.  My husband and I ran to rescue him about
    the same time.  Although MacBlue was in a total panic, the sight of a
    cat's body with the watering-can head had us in stitches afterward. 
    Since he's still a kitten, MacBlue was too frightened to be indignant,
    zoomed off to find the closest hiding-place to escape from the
    monster watering can.  Needless to say, he hasn't peeked into its
    depths since.
    
    Adventure Number Two:
    The day before Christmas, I did some vacuuming, mainly to clean up the
    needles under the tree.  I settled down to some piano practice and was
    happily playing Christmas carols when I heard a huge CRASH!!! The tree
    was vibrating madly, and needles were sprinkling all over the floor. 
    It looked as though a mini-earthquake had hit our livingroom.
    MacBlue, who is now six months old, had decided to take a flying leap
    from one of the clerestory windows on the second floor level (our
    livingroom is a two-story open space), right into the tree.  For
    two-and-a half weeks,  we had been lavishing praise on him for having
    enough forbearance to resist climbing the tree or doing anything
    naughtier than batting a small stuffed panda or wooden ornament until it
    fell to the floor.  We should have known the kitty instincts would take
    over sooner or later.  Fortunately, MacBlue was unscathed after his
    skydiving feat, and he did manage to come through the back side of the
    tree, so only some strings of lights and a few ornaments felt the
    impact of his landing (although one set of lights never did come back
    on again).  He hit the floor running, not wanting to spoil his
    excellent adventure with the inevitable scolding.
    
    We can't imagine what other exciting adventures lie in store for
    MacBlue!
    
    Chris
    

Another bag story:

One of the grocery stores I shop at came out with the latest in paper bag
innovations:  paper handles (stronger than the bag) glued (?) onto the top, so
you can carry it like a plastic bag (well, in theory anyway; it depends how
heavy the full bag is!).  Of course, not many cats can resist playing with
paper bags, and these were folded up on the living room floor waiting for me to
take them out to my car (to be reused next shopping trip).  Some time later,
we hear the sound of cat and paper bag.  I go check it out, and CJ has her
head caught in the handle and is trying to get loose.  It wasn't tight or
anything, just a little tricky to remove.  Yet another potential kitty
hazard!

Oh, and speaking of bags, the kitties decided their latest favorite curling-up
spot is the bag cabinet!  time to quickly break the habit of automatically
closing that cabinet door...

Jill

    Yes!  Spike did the identical thing with a handle shopping bag on
    Sunday!  I was vacuuming in another room, and one of my dogs came
    racing in to get my attention.  Since both dogs avoid the vacuum
    cleaner like the plague, I knew something was wrong.  Spike had his
    head through the handle, and his hind end was in the bag.  He was
    slipping and sliding inside the bag, but still managed to propell
    himself around the kitchen, to the extreme horror of both dogs.  They
    are very respectful of Spike as it is, but now he has some mutant "cat
    car".      
    Sarah  

       Last night both cats had me in stitches!

       First there was Bandit (of the famous "Bandits latest antics")
       who decided to settle down for a long winters nap.  Well, he
       got in his basket, which was perched precariously on top of
       a stack of magazines (on the coffee table), and made himself	
       comfortable.  Just as he settled back with a sigh, the basket 
       flipped over, and Bandit landed splat on his back on the floor
       with the basket on top of him.  He shrugged his way out of the
       basket and looked rather ruffled and indignant and I laughed
       histerically at him.  My husband was a little kinder and put
       the basket in a safer place and replaced poor little Bandit.

       The second incident was with T.K. and I found this one actually
       even more amusing.  I had washed the green leaf lettuce and 
       it was spread out on the counter on towels to dry.  Later in
       the evening I was going through the kitchen when what do my
       wondering eyes see but T.K. roosting in the lettuce!!!!  He
       had his paws tucked under him in that typical cat pose and
       looked quite cute in the wonderful garden he had found!  I
       really couldn't help but laugh... he looked so pleased with
       himself and couldn't figure out why I wasn't yelling at him
       to get off the counter!

       Karen

My little guy, Kabuki, likes to play fetch!  He'll play for about 1/2 hour,
retrieving his toy and bringing it back after I throw it, with his tail held
high, his chest stuck out prodly and strutting like crazy! It's really cute
to watch, I get as much pleasure (or more) out of it than he does.  He'll
drop the toy at my feet, usually a homemade plastic canvas toy all stiched up
in bright colors and sometimes sprayed with catnip scent, and look up at
me with his huge sky blue eyes completely melting my heart.  Who could resist?

Lola

    We got a video camera for Christmas (Gods love my Father-in-law!) and
    we managed to tape Alex playing stair-fetch...we have to throw the ball
    down the stairs, and if it doesn't go all the way down, she'll knock it
    "back into play", then AFTER it hits the bottom, she carries it back
    upstairs.
    
    Funny...Alex likes to show off for the camera...and Rico just runs and
    hides!
    
    K.C.

	This is nothing cute or funny, just something that Diane noticed and 
we've been watching for the last three weeks. We live in a Cape with the 
living room in the back of the house. You can walk from the living room through 
the hallway past the coat closets and bathroom into the kitchen where the 
cat's food and water is, From there you can walk into the dinning room past 
the stairs going to the second floor and back into the living room. So if your 
in our living room looking forward, the dinning room is on your left and the 
kitchen is on your right. Both cats will walk towards the kitchen from the 
living room. but will never return that way. They always continue through the 
dinning room, making a complete 360, going counter clock-wise. Makes no 
difference how long they've been in the kitchen. I've even carried one down 
from upstairs and put him in the kitchen and had Diane call him from the 
living room. Going through the hallway past the bathroom would be shorter. Must 
have something to do with checking out their territory or maybe they've 
"made" trails that they follow. Anybody else ever noticed this type of 
behavior?

Mike
    
    

    I have had Birmans that would set up "pace" patterns in the house.  It
    was really funny to see that they would never deviate from the pattern. 
    We would set up little obstacles in their path, and they would just go
    over or under them (chairs, etc.).  They will only go around and
    obstacle if they can't get over or under it.  Weird.
    
    Jo

    Fargas thinks he's a steeplechaser - put an obstacle on the floor and
    he has to jump over it.
    
    So Sunday my husband's brother & sister-in-law & their 3 children came to
    our house for the first time.  The youngest is 5 months old and was in
    one of those portacrib things sitting on the floor.  It took Farg a
    while to decide it was safe to come into the living room, but once he
    did...a long run-in and *boing!* lengthwise over the baby.  Yikes.
    
    Then he snuck up behind the diaper bag, unseen by us, and made a meal
    out of a bottle nipple.  It went from being a single-hole nipple to a
    multi-hole job...I guess he thought it would be easier to feed Daniel
    that way...
    
    **Deb

    Re: walking patterns
    
    When we first got Rico, we lived in an apartment so small, the walkways
    within were only about a foot and a half wide (well...maybe more, but
    it SEEMED like less).  So when Rico walked anywhere, he would walk in a
    straight line.  To take corners, he would have to stop and reposition
    to turn.
    
    Our newer, larger apartment has a little round entry-way that is the
    centerpoint of the apartment.  Rico decided to take this wide-open area
    to learn how to walk in curves (He watched Tiki do this, and decided
    that HE wanted to do it, too).  
    
    The first time he tried, he kept tripping over his own feet!  He would
    angle his body for the curve, put one foot in front of the other, and
    *WHUMP* on his face.
    
    And this morning, Alex left a jingle-ball in my slipper, so I put my
    foot in the slipper and *JINGLE*.
    
    K.C.

    Last night I went in to the living room to read the paper while my son
    was cooking supper.  We only have a living room, no family room, so
    this is where we gather and where the TV cabinet is.  On top of the TV
    cabinet I keep a small collection of cat figurines that a special
    friend contributes to each year.  This is on my left as I enter the
    room, heading for the sofa on my right.
    
    As I entered, I thought that something was funny but didn't pay too
    much attention.  However, after I sat down, I happened to glance
    toward the cabinet and got a good laugh.  Now, these figurines are of
    cats in very dignified stances.  2 of the cats are sitting up tall with
    tails curled around looking most regal.  1 has the cat crouched on all
    fours like the sphinx.  The others are standing.  In among them,
    considerable bigger than the rest, was a live figure - ZELDA. She was
    sitting up tall, regal, with tail curled around.  It was so funny -
    like she was trying to prove that she was as good as the figurines.
    She never tried bat at them or harm them, just wanted to be part of the
    gang!!!!
    
    Ellen, Bob and Zelda
    
    PS - Bob was in the kitchen at that time lying upside down on a chair
    with both front paws over his face.  Maybe Zelda was trying to convince
    me that not all cats are undignified!!

I couldn't decide if this should go in the WHINE note or here.  I'm not whining
about it anymore, so here goes:

I decided to take the plunge and bought "The World's Most Difficult Jigsaw
Puzzle".  The reason THEY called it that is because the picture is composed of
529 pieces (23 by 23) of cats, and on the back of it is the same picture, but
aligned differently.  so, you not only have to do the puzzle, but you have to
figure out what side is up and what side is down for each piece.  The reason *I*
am calling it that, is because if I leave the puzzle unattended, it
mysteriously falls apart and ends up on the floor, and I have to start it over
:-).  Yeah, I guess I'm exaggerating a little bit, as it only happened once. :-)
But I'm not taking a chance of it happening again!  And my little angels were
so devious...they hardly touched the first 3 puzzles we worked on during the
holidays, so I was lured into a false sense of security!

Jill, who's feeling much better now that she's gotten past where she was when
she had to start over! :-)

    Yup, know that puzzle (and the help!).  I gave it to my daughter, who
    can normally finish a puzzle in a couple hours, and this one took her a
    week!  Her language at times was not lady-like!  But she enjoyed it,
    and it is a nice picture.  Good luck!  I haven't worked up the nerve to
    try it yet.
    
    Linda 

My wife and I never knew the other liked jigsaw puzzles until
we got one for christmas this year..  it was a 1000 piecer of a 
quilt... wasn't to hard but it was time consuming and big..  The
most difficult part was FINDING WHERE THE PIECES THAT HAD BEEN CHEWED
BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION WHERE HIDDEN!!!!!!! 

Our two lovely little playful BRATS didn't pay much attention to the
puzzle while we were working on it.. we thought that they weren't interested...
But every night when we came home and every morning when we got up
there would be one or two pieces with several sets of fang gashes in them
in odd places like, on the kitchen floor, beside the couch... 

Ho humm.... I didn't realize that cat proofing was more than just 
no dried flowers and dead bolts on the cabinets...

-Rob

    I love jigsaw puzzles!!  I do them all the time.  What I do is when I
    am finished working on them, any pieces that are not "connected" to the
    main puzzle get put back in the box, with the lid on, then I lay heavy
    books on top of the puzzle to keep the cats from getting to it.  Sounds
    like a lot of trouble, but I haven't lost a puzzle piece in years.
    
    Jo

    Well my little one contiplated a bath yesterday.  I I have never run
    the jacuzzi tub since we have gotten him, but yesterday was that kind
    of day.  Most of the time the tub is just a place for him to put toys
    that need batting around, as well as a stopping perch on his way to
    the sink to drink his water.  Our second sink is his official drinking
    bowl.  We just keep it filled up, empty it out, and refill it.  He 
    refuses to drink out of his dish or any other bowl with water.  Well,
    turning on the jets made him keep his distance, but as soon as they
    shut off, the curiousity came upon him. First with hind paws on the
    ground and front paws on top of the side of the tub, he popped his 
    head in and just looked in, looked at me, as if to say, why are you and
    some water in here, and then stared at the water again.  He then
    decided to jump straight up to the sink area and try to come down.  He
    made it to some "land" around the tub and then started to walk around
    gingerly.  Then he stopped and thought about drinking out of the tub,
    but decided that he could not do so without falling in.  All this
    time I am preparing a towel to dry him off when he slips.  Finally
    I said enuf is enuf and got out and started emptying the tub. Once it
    was empty he went in and just sniffed and looked around the drain pipe,
    thinking where did all that water go?  This whole event was so funny.

I'm happy to say that we finished the double sided cat puzzle yesterday, with
no further mishaps.  I did cover up everything when I was out of the room.
The puzzle was nowhere near as hard as I expected; I'd think a 2000 piece
puzzle would be much harder, esp. if it had a lot of sky and water.

Jo, I couldn't imagine putting the disconnected pieces back in the box; I
spread them out all over, and separate them in various ways.  With this
puzzle, for instance, I figured I'd pull out all the orangey pieces and build
those cats first.  Well, I can't think of another color I should have started
with instead, but I must have pulled out half the pieces!  then I separated out
from those pieces the ones with eyes, ears, and mouths.  That was about where I
was at when the critters threw it all on the floor the first time :-)

Maybe next time I'll just put a big piece of plywood on top of everything...

Jill

    My mom use to separate the pieces like Jill does...and she also
    had a cat that loved to steal pieces...so instead of putting them
    all back in the box and have to separate them again...she use to put
    the different colors of the pieces in different boxes.   that way if
    she wanted to work on the blue pieces...she just took the blue box.
    
    Sandy

    I usually pull out a bunch of pieces too, but my rule for myself is
    that everything that I pull out must connect to the puzzle in some
    place, or be put back in the box before I leave the puzzle.  Most of
    the time, the end result is that I am up at 2:00 a.m. working on my
    puzzle because I can't connect those pieces in and I don't want to put
    them back in the box!! :')
    
    My favorite puzzles are the Charles Wysocki series that Milton Bradley
    is doing.  I love Wysocki and can't afford his original artwork, so the
    puzzles are the next best thing.  For Christmas I recieved a Wysocki
    print and was able to have it signed by Wysocki at an art gallery. 
    That is one of my best Christmas presents ever. :')
    
    Jo

My sister got my mother and I each a box specially designed for toting around
partially finished puzzles. It has two foam-backed inside boxes that press 
against your partially completed puzzle to keep it in place during transporting
or storing.  It allows me to keep my puzzle pieces somewhat sorted (and right 
side up) but not have to monopolize the dining room table.  It also protects
the puzzles from the fang-kitties and the hockey fans.

You see them in the mail-order catalogs like Taylor Gifts, Harriet Carter, etc.

    I NEED ONE OF THESE!!  My puzzles have been monopolizing the kitchen
    table and coffee table for years.  My husband hates it!
    
    Jo

    This would probably be pretty easy to make on the cheap.  Check
    the yellow pages for places that sell foam stuff;  I got some
    "slabs" of flexible foam to cover with fabric for a seat for
    a bench fairly inexpensively as I recall.  You can cut it
    with scizzors.
    

    Well my lovely little creatures sure gave me a treat this
    morning.  Normally I'm up at 5:00 in the morning....well this
    morning my alarm went off and I hit the snooze button 4 times.
    It just felt like I hadn't slept..and I had a hard time getting
    out of bed.    Well finally I got up...and made my way to the
    kitchen, put on the teapot, and I hear my husband say "what
    the heck are you doing up now".  Of course...I yelped and said
    "the alarm went off..get the H%$# out of bed".  He said "no way
    it's is only 3:00AM.
    
    My lovely furfaces must have stepped on my alarm clock and set
    the actual clock ahead two hours.  Now I haven't figured out how they
    did this because you have to hold down to separate buttons
    simultaneously to change the clock.  Of course...no body will admit
    to doing this...but from 3:00-5:00 all they did was play chase
    on my waterbed.
    
    Sandy
    
    

    Sandy, that's so funny!! :*D
    
    re: puzzles, I haven't done one in a long time, but when I do, I 
    seperate the pieces too, but at night, I put each pile into its
    own little bag (paper or plastic), and then put the little bags into
    the box. I also build my puzzles on a big piece of cardboard so that 
    I can move it to a place where the cats can't get at it. (As if such
    a place existed...;*))
    
    Now, my silly kitten story...
    
    Callie LOVES her sparkle toy to pieces (literally)!! We take it from
    her when we're not home so that she can't harm herself w/ it. Well,
    she'll go over to the cabenit & meow at me til I get it out & play
    w/ her, all the time!! Drives me nuts, but what can ya do except look
    at the sweetie & give in!
    
    So...the other day, I forgot to put it away when I left the house to go 
    on an errand after work. Dave came home from work before I got back
    from the store. When I got home he told me that I'd forgotten to take 
    Callie's sparkle toy from her, and that she was running around the 
    house w/ the end of it in her mouth & the sparkles & feathers out
    in front of her, CHASING IT!! WHat a big goofy kitten she is!! That
    is so scarey! I couldn't help but imagine what would have happened
    if she ran into a wall!
    
    		           *******************
    
    Tabitha jumped into the bathtub yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!! This may not
    sound like a big deal, but when she was a kitten, I tried flea
    shampooing her when she was a baby baby kitten, and it traumatized
    her in a big way. She's always been a skittish kitty, and has begun
    to come out of her shell, but she HAS NEVER EVER EVER gone less than
    within a foot of the tub. This is a real sign that she's going to 
    continue coming out of her shell, and maybe someday even tell Callie
    who's boss!
    
    The other day, I was feeding Tabitha some of my chicken. She was on the 
    kitchen chair next to me & Callie was sitting on the floor in front of
    Tabitha's chair. WWhen I handed Tabs the chicken, CAllie lifted herself
    up onto her back paws to smell what it was. Tabitha batted her gently
    in the head & munched on the chicken morsel. This happened one more
    time before CAllie said, "Hey! I don't need this crap! I'm outta here!"
    She sauntered off to take a nap in the sun....Callie doesn't even LIKE
    chicken!
    
    Well, you know I could go on forever!
    
    Bonnie

    Stitch is a squirmer - you can only hold him for a limited amount of
    time and he has never been a lap cat.  He'll lay down close to you but
    not on you so this was really out of character for him - considering
    the circumstances:
    
    It was bath time and he absolutely hates to be bathed - it takes two of
    us - equipped with gloves - me doing the bathing and Richard holding on
    to his front legs - so the usual took place - screemed through the
    whole process - water every where - finally get him wrapped in 2 heavy
    towels and proceed to blow dry him - now for a cat who hates baths he
    likes the dryer (you figure it out).  So he goes on his way to finish
    himself up and I shower and lay down to read and relax.  I must have
    dozed off and I am awakened by a cat walking up to my chest, I figure
    Gino or Pippin - no - it's Stitch - giving me kisses and head butts,
    making muffins on my chest and purrrring up a storm - next thing I know
    he curls up on my lap and falls a sleep for about 45 minutues.  He's
    never done this before and I was quite touched.  Ever since that bath
    last Saturday he's been spending more "contact" time with me.  Richard
    thinks it might be because I really yelled at him when he attempted to
    climb up the shade over the kitchen sink - maybe he finally figured out
    who was boss (hea - sure mom).
    
    A very happy Giudi

Last night, when I arrived at the house, my adorable Birman, Dilly came
dancing up to the back door to greet me....with postage stamps pasted
to various parts of her body, including one stamp quite rakishly stuck to
her forhead...12 postage stamps to be exact.  Hannah had two stamps stuck
to her butt, one on each side of her tail.  The Flash was wearing 8 stamps
herself.

I, being a clever person, immediately detected something amiss...my cats
don't generally wear stamps.  I began the search...and there it was,
the remainder of the roll of stamps, spread out on the dining room floor,
with teeth bites in most stamps, and quite a bit of glue rubbed/licked off.

I can only guess what happened, but I'm sure that Dilly and The Flash were
most deeply involved...with poor Hannah just happening to sit in the
wrong place.  I carefully removed the "decorations" from each cat, and
salvaged the roll of stamps.  They are now safely hidden in a drawer.
Baths next weekend for sure....and I will be mailing slightly furry
bills for awhile.  With scotch tape over the stamps...

I couldn't even get mad...Dilly just looks at me with those blue eyes
and she is SOOOO innocent that I just melt...besides, I was laughing
too hard.  Hannah was not amused at having postage on her butt, and
was even less amused when I laughed at her - she slept with her back
to me last night.

I love living with cats.

    Diane:
    
    I'm laughing so hard right now I've got tears in my eyes.  One of mine
    loves stamps and would kill for them.  I'm just visualizing the teeth
    marks all over the stamps and the stamps all over them.  Please .......
    did you manage to take any pictures of this?  I would submit the photos
    to the Postal Department for a Poster.  This story is too cute!.
    
    Giudi

    Dian -- that was too funny!!  Did they have enough postage on them to
    make it to Massachusettes?
    
    Wow, what a great story!
    
    -Roberta
    

    Whenever we send mail, Rico licks the envelopes and the stamps for us. 
    For some unfathomable reason, he LOVES the taste of envelope and stamp
    glue.
    
    K.C.

	Did anyone watch 'America's Funniest Videos' last night?  One of
	the prize winners was a cat video, and they showed one of a cat
	licking stamps for its owner to use - wicked cute!

	

    I think some glue is made from fish scales.
    

My little Mikey, a 1 1/2 year old rescued feral baby, still isn't sure he likes
me, so he doesn't often stay in the same room as I.  I had been noticing, 
however, that the little wedge-shaped sponges that I use to apply my makeup 
have been showing up in weird places, obviously abused by some cat.  I wondered
how they got catnapped.  Well, this morning Mikey, who never comes upstairs
when I'm up there, bolted out of the bathroom when I came around the corner.
As this black and white streak flew by me, I noticed this little sponge in
his mouth.  My precious, never do nuthin wrong Mikey, has been stealing
sponges and beating the crap out of them.

So, since he has me trained, I went to the beauty supply outlet at lunch
time and bought him a whole bag of them....geeeezzzzeeee

Mary

    
    	Mary - I've been finding `abused sponge wedges' all over
    	my house, too!! Punkin takes them out of the trash and 
    	plays with them...sometimes I find them inside a closet, he
    	must have pushed it under the door..He's not as sneaky as
    	Mikey is, though, he'll stick his head right into the basket
    	with me sitting right there - `s'cuse me, gotta get me a 
    	sponge!'.
    
    	Sherry
    

I just discovered, in the bag that I tote all my stuff to and from work, a 
foil ball.  Obviously put there by someone (most likely Simon) who thought I 
might need a toy to play with during the slow times at work. 8^)

That happend to me just last week.  but it wasn't a foil ball.  It was a 
mangy looking "dead" fur toy mouse.  Kyra wanted to make sure that I saw
that "she killed it".  The tail was gone as well as the eyes and ears.  
Most of the fur was gone too.  uck!!  What a think to find in your
pocketbook!

Holly

>That happend to me just last week.  but it wasn't a foil ball.  It was a 
>mangy looking "dead" fur toy mouse.  Kyra wanted to make sure that I saw
>that "she killed it".  The tail was gone as well as the eyes and ears.  
>Most of the fur was gone too.  uck!!  What a think to find in your
>pocketbook!


Becky (rip) used to take hers swimming - in the toilet.  How unappealing to 
wake up and have to fish a semi-bald floating mouse firs thing in the morning... 

    Tee Hee! ..Well, to be fair, the kids are only partly responsible for
    this one..   While at the show last weekend Danny was being filmed by
    one of the local TV stations. In the process of showing off he managed
    to toss his furry mouse on to the floor of the show hall.  I scooped it
    up and put it away. Tuesday morning, while checking out the show bag, I
    disinfected the mouse toy with a mild bleach/water solution ..and put
    it standing in the silverware-basket on drainboard in the kitchen.
    Where else would you put a mouse to dry?
    
    A few minutes later Bob came into the kitchen ..did a double take when
    passing the drainboard ...and we both started laughing.  He's used to
    seeing the cats bathed in the kitchen sink but I guess he didn't expect
    to find a mouse drying out on the drainboard.  But he's just about
    convinced to expect anything!  :^)
    
    Linda
        

    
    I peeked around the shower curtain this morning to find Bailey and 
    Callie sitting side by side on the toilet seat. It was a sight to
    behold!  This was side by side, sitting still, not trying to knock 
    each other into the wall.  This may not be a big deal deal for most 
    folks, but it made my day!  These to barely tolerate each other. For 
    the past 7th months they have not sat/slept/ate next to each other 
    or groomed each other.  Now I know that most folks have told me just 
    to have patience with this relationship, but I hope that it doesn't 
    take an additional 7th months for another glimmer of siblingdom bliss!
    
    

    Marlene, must be something in the air!  Yesterday I found Taja and
    Kelsey curled up on the bed together!!  Kelsey was sleeping with his
    back paws on Taja's head and Taj was busy grooming Kels's tail.  I
    wished I had film in the camera!!!
    
    :^)
    
    P.S.  Maybe the Bales senses Callie's impending leave of absence and
    this is his way of showing he's gonna miss her!
    

A few days ago I walked into the bedroom and found Bill, Penny, and Tigger all
resting on the bed, and Penny and Tigger were actually in contact with each
other for about 8 inches on their backs!  I couldn't believe it--Tigger who
used to walk away (even from food!) when the intruders came near him. :-)

When I woke up and did a kitty-count this morning, CJ was on my pillow between
Bill and me.  Bill was on his side with his legs bent. Hemi was lying on top
of Bill's side at chest level, under the cover except for her head and front
paws.  Tigger was on one side of Bill's legs, and Penny was on the other.

Another photographic moment without the camera set up, sigh.. :-)

Jill

    I missed a good photo opportunity as well.  Usually 2 of the cats will
    curl up together - Gino and Pippin or Pippin and Stitch - but the other
    day I had to do a double take - on the smaller living room chair there
    were three cats butt to nose in a complete circle with Pippin in the
    center - she was snoring blisfully with her boys on either side.  Of
    course I didn't have any film in the house - as it's gotten colder
    the three of them have been hanging together a little more.
    
    Giudi

    TK and Nikki often cuddle together for warmth.  These are two fat cats
    (12 and 16 pounders), and yesterday they were lying together in the
    "kitty kup" bed... but they really weren't in it, just hanging over it. 
    They looked so cute!!
    

    Last night after arriving home and doing individual cat greetings,
    I was making second rounds to hold and give extra love to each cat.  
    I had Amelia in my arms and was facing the dining table where Onyx
    was sitting.  I was wearing a black and white sweatshirt and I 
    suppose it is possible that Amelia (who is brown tabby and white)
    blended in with the shirt because suddenly Onyx jumped off the table 
    into what I'm sure he thought were my waiting arms.  Well, I already 
    had 13 lbs. of Amelia there.  I tried to juggle quickly and catch him 
    with one arm but I only succeeded in bouncing him off the chair back 
    and down to the floor.  Amelia started struggling and I was able to get 
    her down closer to ground level before dropping her to the ground.  
    They both took off in opposite directions.  Now, given the history of 
    these two (no love lost), I was quite concerned and ended up chasing 
    both of them around until I could get them up on the bed, check them 
    over and calm them down.  I felt so bad about dropping them.  They were 
    none the worse for wear and actually sat on the bed within a foot of each
    other without Amelia hissing once, although she did seem awful anxious
    to get that over with.
    
    Boy was I startled when he jumped.  I know he likes to jump up to my
    shoulder when he can and doesn't always wait for me to be looking but
    this is the first time he's done it when I had another cat in my arms.
    
    Jan

    
    Something must be in the air...because yesterday I caught Barkley
    and Bogie sleeping on the same bed.  (which is a miracle)  Normally
    Bogie will stalk Barkley all around the house...and Barkley just
    spits/growls/hisses and goes and finds a hiding place.
    
    It was a nice sight...
    
    Sandy

Marni did the FUNNIEST thing this weekend!

At the last cat show we got a new kitty toy.  A really interesting one!  
It's a black fishing pole with a STRONG black string hanging from the end.
On the end of the string is two feathers placed opposite of each other.
Kind of like this )( but the tops are together.  This is on this thing
that makes it so that it's free moving and when you move the fishing pole,
the feathers spin!!

Well, I brought this out to show to Marni, Honey and Lila (the three old
ladies).  Honey didn't really bother it too much.  Lila loved it!  I don't 
think that she's jumped like that in years!  

Marni did something REALLY weird!  She started to chatter!!  It was SO funny
to hear her!  This cat is 14 years old!  And she RAN after the thing with
avengence!  It was like she was on the prowl!  My fiance, my mother, and I
were in absolute hysterics watching her!  This cat NEVER plays!!

Holly

    All last week I was suffering from a sore throat and laryngitis, but as
    I am a TAG and don't get sick days, I came into work every day (phone
    coverage was fun!) and figured that Saturday would be my day to die.
    
    Saturday I just wore my "grubbies" (old sweat pants and comfy shirt),
    curled up on the couch wrapped in my Indian "blankie", and popped in a
    movie.  My husband was doing some stuff outside.
    
    When he came in, he saw me lying on the couch, watching the movie, with
    Alexandra completely draped over my throat like a scarf!  Usually she
    runs to him (she's "daddy's little girl"), but this time, she stayed
    right on my throat.  (For added comfort, Rico was on my feet).
    
    Other than the fact that I could barely breath, it was incredibly
    comfy!
    
    K.C.

    
    
    	Oooh I love fuzzy heating pads!  Audrey's good for those.
    	She's a small cat so it's not *too* much on the neck.
    	Now if Brandi aka Lardbutt tried it, well..... =)

Last Saturday morning I was alone in the house (except for the furry
terrorists I live with), and I was taking my time about getting the shower,
etc. done.  As I stand in my bathroom, stark nekkid, combing my hair, I
hear this horrible racket begin in my roommate's room and move at horrific
speed down the hall....I step from the bathroom just in time to see
The Flash, her head through one handle of the fancy paper bag Marge uses
as her incidental items carryall.  Amanda looked quite terrified, and she
was running for all it was worth, with the bag dragging along behind her,
strewing catalogs, mail, etc. as they went....and Dilly speeding along
behind.  Ah! my brain said, The Flash has managed to get her head through
the handle of the bag and when she moves the bag "chases" her, which makes
her run faster, and the bag runs faster....so, I took up the chase, with
a silent prayer that my roommate would not come home to find me in hot
pursuit of the procession, stark nekkid as I was.  I just didn't want to
explain, you know?

Anyway, I managed to catch the poor, terrified Flash and get her free of
the bag...and while we were sitting there glaring at the offending bag,
Dilly danced up and looked up at me as if to say, "Wow!  That was fun!
Gonna do it again???  The Flash looked disgusted and walked off to find
a place to repair her dignity.  I gathered up Marge's possessions and
put the slightly battered bag back on it's appropriate shelf with all
contents in place.

Later that night, after all canine and human occupants of the house were
safely abed, we had another "adventure".  It seems that Hannah fell off
the window sill onto poor Sadie (dog) sleeping soundly in her bed...
Sadie was startled enough to try and get up suddenly ---and she was
thoroughly wrapped up in one of her blankets...she started struggling,
and barking, because she thought she was under attack.  Hannah was
hissing at her as she vacated Sadie's bed.  The Flash and Dilly ran
across my face to the end of the bed to watch the show....The Flash adding
her quite menacing growl to Hannah's hiss (anything to help a friend out)...
Poor Sadie was thoroughly confused by the time I got the light on and
helped her untangle.  She looked quite hurt that she had been jumped on,
hissed at, and growled at -- after all, she was just trying to sleep.
I got everyone settled down, all feathers smoothed, etc. and we finally
went back to bed...all, except Dilly who was standing by Sadie's 
bed, grooming her forehead the last time I looked around.

Was it the full moon last Saturday?  

    Diane,
    
    You have the best stories to tell - I'm printing this out and
    taking it home.  My side hurts.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Giiuddiii

    The other night we had a similar bag incident...Alex got her head
    caught in the handle of a plastic shopping bag, and the chase began
    (the entire chase lasted about 30 seconds...I couldn't stand seeing
    Alex with her head in the handle!)
    
    Last night Alex finally took a bath...unfortunately, it was MY bath!  I
    had filled the tub and had just turned off the water.  Alex jumped on
    the edge of the tub and started to walk around it, like she ALWAYS does
    before my baths.  When she got to the end of the tub, she found her way
    blocked with shampoo bottles, so she started to back up...
    
    The funny thing is, you could tell the very moment that she knew she
    was going in.  She had a look on her fuzzy face, like, "OK...if I'm
    going to fall in, how can I do it with the minimum amount of wet?" 
    Then she twisted her body so that she was sliding down the side of the
    tub on her tush, and the second her rear legs hit the floor of the tub,
    she was off!
    
    Her head, shoulders and back were dry, but her feet, tummy, tail and
    tush were drenched!  We couldn't help but laugh...she looked so funny!
    But she was NOT a happy camper after that.
    
    K.C.

    Tons of fun last night.  My husband is a snorer, and has come down with
    that horrible cold.  Now his snoring is unbearable!  After 2 hours of
    waking up and shoving him, I decided it would do us both good if I
    slept on the pull-out sofa bed.  So, at 3AM I grumbled to myself,
    pulled out the bed, made it up, and hopped in.  Both dogs and Spike the
    Wonder Cat naturally had to join me in the "new" place.  The sofa bed
    has a gap of about 8 inches between the mattress and the back of the
    sofa.  Spike was tip-toeing along the edge of the mattress, purring
    and chirping and trying to find THE BEST place to park his butt, and
    slipped into the gap!  He flopped in, I jumped up to try and fish  him
    out, the dogs decided this was much too interesting to continue 
    sleeping and joined the search.  Yawn...sometimes I wonder what
    non-pet owners do during the wee hours of the morning : )        
    Sarah (on 3 hours of sleep) 

    My Korat, Gracie, has been in heat since she weaned her kittens. What
    she's doing now while she is in heat is the funniest thing!
    
    We have a small family room which I'll try to describe (draw) here:
    
    ____________________________________________________________
    | TV set|              Fireplace                   Speaker |
    |-------|                                                  |
    | B                                                        |
    | O                                                        |
    | O                                                  ------|
    | K                                                  |     |
    | C                                                  | C   |
    | A                                                  | O   |
    | S                                                  | U   |
    | E                       Coffee Table               | C   |
    |                                                    | H   |
    | B                        --------------------------      |
    | linds                   |                                |
    |                         |--------------------------------
    |                                                          | 
    | R a i l i n g  ________________________________ Step
    
    Now that you have a picture (not to scale). Gracie will start from the
    railing area, go behind the blinds, out near the bookcase, between
    the coffee table and couch, over to the speaker and around, trots
    past the fireplace, past the couch, and starts AGAIN near the railing
    behind the vertical blinds! She doesn't just do this once or twice,
    but for at LEAST 10-15 minutes per night! Chirping the entire time!
    I'm laughing so hard by 5 minutes, that I have to leave the room! Why
    she has decided this is her new ritual is beyond me! But it is SO
    funny! And of course, the more I laugh, the dirtier looks I get from
    her!
    
    They're the babies...gotta luv em!
    Cheryl
    

This must be something to do with Korats.  Pita does the SAME exact thing
when she's in heat!  she's SO funny!!  At our old house she'd furst jump
on the half wall, walk across that, jump down, jump onto the couch, walk 
across the top, jump down, go into the center of the room, do a little 
circle, jump onto the big chair, jump down, and then go back to the half
wall and start over again.  Trust me, I know what you're going through.
It's as FUNNY as can be!!

Holly

    Both or your Korats are pacing, and that is pretty normal behavior. 
    Whole males will do it too, especially if there is a female in season
    around.
    
    I used to play with my girls by putting things in their pace path. :')
    They would always go over or under the thing, but never, never around
    it.  That would break the pattern, you know! ;')
    
    Jo

    I put my legs out and Gracie just started jumping over them! (Little
    extra to the ritual!)
    
    I was learning routines the other evening (I'm also a Jazzercise
    instructor) and Gracie used ME as part of her ritual -- circling as she
    went through the process!
    
    What a nut!
    
    Cheryl

But Jo, it is just SO funny to watch!!  Especially when she does the little
circle in the center of the room in the EXACT same place every time!

Ok.  Something that they did.  Actually, this has become are regular ritual
with Pima.  

Whenever we start the water in the tub, PIMA comes running from no matter
WHERE she is in the house!  Every morning while I take a shower, Pima will
jump INTO the shower with me.  Kyra sits on the side of the tub between
the curtain and the liner, but Pima actually sits in the bottom of the tub
and looks up at me.  She doesn't seem to mind getting wet at all.  Every
once in a while I'll move and she'll get a bit wet.  She'll jump out, but then
turn around and jump right back in again.  She seems to be fascinated at
the fact that her human would subject herself to such torture!(-:

Holly

    I started a topic in the old feline file about pacing.  It really is
    funny.  It became an obsession of mine to try to find something that I
    could put in Kalliste's way that he would to go around instead of over
    or under.  You should have seen me dragging chairs, tables, etc. into
    the stud room to block his path.  He had this really nice, neat figure
    8 pattern mapped out on the floor. I put all this stuff right in the
    center.  It looked like a garage sale in the middle of the floor.  Ken 
    thought I was losing it for a while there. But, Kalliste would dutifully 
    climb the whole stack twice on each lap of the figure 8. 
    
    Joui's mom, Krista, used to pace quite a bit too.  Once we had her
    spayed she stopped.  Reste paces a bit now, but not like Kalliste used
    to.  Nepenthe doesn't pace yet.  I think he finds it a tremendous waste
    of time, time that could be better spent eating.  :'D
    
    Jo

    Would Nepenthe like to meet Chubs?  :^)  When I feed the two new cats
    in the morning, they each get their own dish of canned cat food. 
    Sounds like a simple enough concept, right?  Nope, Chubs and Zelda will
    always start off eating out of the same bowl, then Chubs realizes
    there's another bowl full behind him and he starts in on that one.
    
    This morning, Chubs had his front legs over Zelda's back on the left
    side and his hind legs were on her right side.  He was trying to put
    his head under her neck so he could get at the bowl full of food. 
    What was wrong with the other bowl of food just sitting there?  Not
    challenging enough????  And I wonder why Chubs has problems with his
    legs coming out of the socket?  :^)  He is such a hoot!

okay, I'm beginning to think Max cat food is loaded with something....
last evening, after I exercised and showered, Dilly joined me in the
bathroom while I put on my robe, etc.  She calmly jumped from the floor...
DIRECTLY INTO THE TOILET.  I was, to say the least, somewhat amazed.  This
isn't a kitten, but a 1 year old cat who has always been curious about the
moving water, but she has never been interested in getting into the water.
I wish I could say she expected the toilet lid to be down, but I don't
leave it down, so she couldn't have.  At any rate, there she sat, wet and
bedraggled, in the toilet...I fished her out, bathed her, and dried her.
and no, before anyone askes, my camera needs film so I didn't get the
picture.  Besides, I know how cold the tap water is, so the toilet was
certainly not warm....I got her out of there fast.

Dilly was back at her morning post this morning, watching the water go
down with avid curiousity...but I was poised for any re-plays....she
waited until the bowl filled with clean water and then gently tapped the
water with one paw...I think she knows there is water in there now...perhaps
she didn't understand that before.

Oh well, we survived my little one's empirical study of the toilet...I
sincerely hope she is satisfied now.

    Dilly's sister DeeDee (short for Oh-bli-de) was always the runt of her
    litter, so all her life I have been feeding her whatever she wanted to
    eat, whenever she wanted it, and pretty much catering to her whims. 
    Well, you guessed it, I created a 6 pound monster.  She can now beg
    food with the likes of Mogee and the gang, and hold her own.
    
    We were having company last night for tea and cookies, and I was busy
    cleaning the house and doing domestic things.  I came across a frozen
    turkey carcass in the freezer and thought "there's no time like the
    present to make stock", so I hauled out the stock pot, filled it with
    water, herbs and veggies, and put the turkey carcass in it.  Well, the
    turkey carcass was from a 20+ pound bird, and as it was frozen, it
    stuck way out of the pot at first. I kind of balanced the lid of the
    stock pot on it and didn't think much of it as Mogee was locked in 
    another room with the gang.
    
    I went to lay out some cookies and biscuits on a platter in the living
    room with the tea pot, and heard this loud crash in the kitchen.  I
    went running in and found DeeDee trying to make off with the frozen
    bird, pot and all!!  The crash I heard was the lid being knocked off. 
    DeeDee had grabbed part of the turkey carcass and was attempting to
    pull the whole thing off the stove and carry it off I guess.  Anyway, I
    shooed her away, and while I was breaking up the bird to shove farther
    in the pot, I realized DeeDee was no where to be seen.  Odd.  She would
    normally be right there pawing and begging for turkey.  Then the little
    lightbuld went off in my head and I remembered I left the plate of tea
    biscuits and cookies on the coffee table!!!  I went running in there,
    and there sat DeeDee in the middle of the plate, happily munching tea
    biscuits. :'D  Almost every biscuit had a little nibble in it.  No self
    respecting cat would eat a whole biscuit when she could render the
    whole batch inedible by humans!! ;')
    
    Jo

    Stop it!  I'm laughing too hard!!
    
    ng

well, what you must have figured out by now, Jo, is that she was after the
cookies in the first place.....the turkey carcass caper was a ruse to distract
you so she could get the goodies...

And, yes, Dilly shows some of the same slyness - she is always playing "Oh
look!  There's something wonderful out here!" with the Flash...when Amanda
runs to see what she is looking at, Dilly whips back and steals the toy of
the moment....and down the hall to my room she goes!  I find all kinds of
things in my bed...Of course, so does Marge..

Who said Birman's weren't clever??

    The door to my office was not able to completely lock into place 
    (until my husband fixed it this weekend after the following incident),
    so Chief would just put his weight into the door and it was open.  
    Well I have my sewing stuff in their and we would find spools of thread
    all over the house.  I also have all my paperwork and I have a folders
    for different things.  Well Chiefs othe favorite habit thanks to my
    husband is to chew.  He loves to chew off the corners of cardboard
    boxes, and chew on paper.  Well, one day I came home to fix bits of
    paper all other the office.  Chief had gotten in the tax folder and
    chewed up my 1040!  He did not touch the W-2's.  Just the 1040 and
    Schedule A.  I dont know if the IRS will accept this excuse though.

    Maybe Chief can chew up the tax man....
    

    Little Alex just about gave us a heart attack last night...
    
    We had just turned off the light to go to sleep, when we heard this
    strange noise...like scratching, but not quite.  We turned on the
    light, and Alex was at the foot of the bed, hanging her head over the
    footboard, looking down at Rico.
    
    The wierd noise was Alex breathing!  She was hanging her head so low
    that her throat was right up against the floor board!  We called to
    her, and she lifted her head and gave a great gasp.  After that, she
    was fine.
    
    Hopefully she has learned not to do that again.
    
    K.C.

    RE: .76

    Your note gives me the opportunity to enter my favorite poem. I cut
    this out of the Manchester (NH) Union Leader when I was 9 years old

    	       DEATH AND TAXES

    	    Tax his cow, tax his goat;
    	tax his pants, tax his coat.
    	    Tax his crops, tax his work;
    	tax his tie, tax his shirt.
    	    Tax his chew, tax his smoke;
    	teach him taxes are no joke.

    	    Tax his tractor, tax his mule;
    	teach him taxes are the rule.
    	    Tax his oil, tax his gas;
    	tax his notes; tax his cash.

    	    If he hollars, tax him more;
    	tax him 'till he's good and sore.
    	    Tax his coffin, tax his grave;
    	tax the sod in which he's laid;

    	    Put these words upon his tomb:
    	"Taxes drive me to my doom."

	    But it don't stop there!
    	'cause after he's gone he can't relax;
    	 they'll still go after inheritance tax.

    Well, just got a call from my husband who took Stitch in today for his
    yearly.  The brat weighed in at 13.4 and checked out perfectly.
    (whewww)  Anyway, when Dr. Scott was done, he and Richard started to
    talk and then noticed that Stitch was jumping down from the examining
    table, hopped on a chair and jumped into his box and curled up as if to
    say "ok, I've had enough, take me home".  Scott said he had never seen
    one of his "patients" do this.  I, a, just thought it was kinda cute.
    
    Giudi

    So happy Stitch is doing great!!!!!  Is he still on the low
    protien diet????  I have VG on RD....and the protein is
    7.5   (I thought of you immediately because your the one
    that got me checking out all labels)
    
    Sandy                         
    
    

    Sandy:
    
    It's Pippin that's got the kidney problem but they're all on 8-9%
    protein.  She refused to eat the KD (tried it every way possible) so
    it's Wiskas Expert and Low Cal and Regular Wiskas which is all at 8%.
    9 Lives has a Lite at 8% which they are all crazy about.
    
    Anyhow Pippin is doing fine - might as well put this little incident in
    here about her.
    
    The other day the daughter of a friend was walking her 9 month old
    Terrier Pit Bull, Chompers (btw, he is as gentel as a lamb and has a
    kitty playmate at home).  Stitch and Gino see Chompers and take off not
    to be seen for hours but Pippin, attack/guard cat stood her ground -
    advanced on Chompers growling and puffing up, Chompers is trying to get
    closer to Pip straining on the leash and Shelly's having trouble
    holding him back, Richard helps her pull him back and Pippin is still
    advancing while I'm very carefully trying to get between them.  She
    wanted a piece of that poor dog so bad!  BTW we were out front getting
    the mail and the three of them join us while we do this and then it's
    back inside but it just so happened that poor Chompers came by in the
    meantime.  She's famous for stalking dogs.
    
    Interesting what you find when you read those lables.  I go equipped
    with a magnifying glass.
    
    Giudi

    Sorry Guidi...I got them mixed up!!  My mind is like a wet
    sponge lately...wonder why!!
    
    Sandy

    Alex is such a love.
    
    We have a friend (the very friend who helped us find Alex) who had
    received extremely bad, traumatic news over the last week.  Because of
    the goings-on (a cousin of hers died in a fire), she had been unable to
    come by most of the week.  Usually she comes over 2 or 3 times a week.
    
    The moment she came over Friday, Alex was all over her...giving her
    little kisses, cuddles, doing funny things to cheer our friend up.
    
    K.C.

Dilly, the family Birman, has shown a peculiar interest in the TV, in that
she only has noticed Vanna White as she scampers around turning those letters
on Wheel of Fortune (not me, folks, my roommate, Marge loves this show)....
that is until last night.  Last night, she began to watch the Olympics with
me...and she WANTS the downhill skiers SOOOOO much.  She ran to the TV, and
tried to catch them with her paws, then turned to me and cried.  I think she
wanted me to make them come out so she could EAT them.

So far, Wheel of Fortune and the Olympics - nothing else interests her...
oh well, at least she isn't telling me to put on wrestling...yet...or maybe
she'll decide she likes the gladiator show (whatever it is called - all I
remember was the names of the gladiators were things like "apollo" and "lace").

    American Gladiators - Nitro, Ice, Gemini, Lace, Turbo, Apollo,
    Diamond...and I can't remember the rest.
    
    K.C.

Mikey just loves watching TV.  I have a leather ottoman that I place directly
in front of the TV and Mikey sits on it and watches his favourite program.
He 'chases' whatever moves on the screen.  Well, last night, the luge events
during the Olympics just thrilled him!  He had his paws jetting all over the
screen.  He was going nuts!!  I can't understand how he can see what's going
on when he's so close to the screen, but he does.  This went on for the better
part of an hour.  He just loves it and I enjoyed watching him, too!

As for the Gladiators, I heard Biff calling up to try out.  Can you just
see his well-muscled cat in the tights and tanktop??   Go Biff!!

Mary

    Last night as I turned out the lamp in my room, by the glow of the TV,
    Harry began talking to the ceiling and pacing across my head and the
    pillows.
    
    Standing on the clock radio (of COURSE on top of the "ON" button,
    causing the radio to blare suddenly!), he was trying to figure out how
    to climb the sheet rock to get that itty-bitty spider hiding in the
    corner between the wall and ceiling.
    
    As a smaller kitten, Harry used to get bored at night, and I'd hear him
    munching on something, I'd turn on the light, and find him over in the
    corner by the heat register, chewing on the cobwebs (and presumably a
    few baby spiders) .... 
    
    Maybe that extra bit of protein is what made him so big!
    
    I could rent him out .... arachnaphobia, anyone?  Cat for hire, day or
    night!

    Alex has taken "fetch" to a whole new level:
    
    Saturday night we were sitting, watching COPS, and Alex brought her
    jingle-ball over to my husband to be thrown.  He, of course, threw it,
    and away Alex went.
    
    A few seconds later, she came back into the living room, bell in mouth,
    but brought it to in front of the coffee table.  Then she dropped the
    ball, and hit it very hard, so that it flew under the coffee table to
    hit the couch...right in front of my husband.  He picked up the ball,
    threw it, and Alex was off again.
    
    A few seconds later, she repeated the entire sequence...drop in front
    of the coffee table, hit under to hub, chase when he threw.
    
    Now that is the only way she'll play "fetch" (alongside with the "down
    the stairs" version).
    
    K.C.

    I know this doesn't really belong here but this is for those of you in
    the Bay Area with American Gladiator loving kitties. 
    
    The "American Gladiators Live Tour" will be at the Cow Palace on Feb 29th
    at 7:30pm and March 1st at 2:00pm.  Tickets are $9, $12 and $15.  Call 
    (408) 998-2277 or (510) 762-2277.  
    
    Maybe we should all get together and take our AG loving cats to see
    them live, up close and in person.  Probably wouldn't have the same
    affect as seeing those little blurbs flash by on the tv screen.
    
    Jan

you go along thinking you have them pretty much outwitted...and then they
start reminding you who is really in charge...

Dilly, the Birman love of my heart, has become the escape wizard...and she
is SMART about it.  Grooming times hit approx. 3 times a week in our house
and most of the cats make no big deal out of it...but the Dillster has decided
that this is "game time" - and she is getting harder and harder to outwit.
The first plan of attack was to simply let her dash into the middle bedroom
and scoot under the bed - I closed the door on her and her curiosity would
get the better of her in about 5 minutes - then I could open the door and scoop
up a cat.  Not the third time, I couldn't.  Imagine my surprise when I opened
the door to seen a little gray nose sticking out from under the bedspread...
and !zip! it was gone again.  WELL, WELL, aren't we clever?  So, I called
to her in my most loving tone....she answered back...I think she said something
like, "Oh come on, Mom, I'm not that easy!".  So, then I walked away...and
she popped out to follow me down the hall...Marge leaped out of the shadows
and scooped her up - after which we both made a big fuss over her and then
she got thoroughly combed.  Next grooming session, we closed off the bedrooms
and then grabbed a victim...Dilly immediately scampered down the hall..
stopped...and came dashing back - to slip behind the curio in the living
room...more wheedling and tempting with snacks...she finally zipped out and
we had a merry chase around the house until I could catch her.  I know she
was having fun because when I got her cornered, she rolled over on her back
and played with her tail as if to say, "okay, you got me this time..."

Every time is getting more difficult...someone told me Birmans weren't that
smart....I guess Dilly didn't read that part of the book.  The rest of the
cats fall for the same old game every time, but Dilly is not fooled three
times.

    This happened a week ago Tuesday night and I'd like to say a big "thank
    you" to Pippin for:
    
    Waking us up and making us very aware that it was "RAINING" in our
    house.
    
    At 11:00 Richard and I were in a dead sleep.  In the distance I hear a
    cat crying, then a cat jumping on the bed, again crying in the
    distance, again a cat on the bed.  Then she's in my face yelling at me
    and motioning me to follow.  Down the hall I go, turn on the light and
    thought I was in a Felini movie.  Down about 12 steps there is a
    landing there were the two "boys" just watching the water pour out of
    the walls.   It was a terrible night, all the towels and extra blankets
    were used and soaked - Richard and I on the roof at midnight checking
    to see if the gutters were backed up in the middle of high winds in the
    dark.  Fortunately there was a break in the weather and the large crack
    in the roofing was located and patched and is holding.  The walls are
    damaged but the new carpeting will be ok.
    
    The landlady asked me what woke me up and I pointed to Ms. Pippin, my
    little guard kittie.  If it hadn't been for her I know I would have
    slept through and it could have really turned into a disaster.  
    
    Giudi

    Can you say....Lassie?
    

    Feel for me folks...Alex has officially discovered the joys of toilet
    paper!
    
    She had pulled some down before, but just a little.  We draped a hand
    towel over the roll, and that seemed to do the trick...
    
    or so we thought.
    
    Last night my hub was heading into the bathroom to take a shower, and
    he called me in.  There, on the floor, was a HUGE pile of T.P.!  It was
    a brand new roll, and I'd say that more than 1/2 was pulled down, but
    it was still attached!  I proceeded to re-roll the paper (for
    convenience), and there, nestled on the botton, was hand towel.
    
    We made a decision, then and there, that the bathroom door is going to
    remain CLOSED.
    
    *sigh* we should know better.
    
    This morning, I started to get ready for work, and was washing my face. 
    I let Alex come in with me, because I was right there.  She laid down
    on the floor, the perfect angel.  When I left the bathroom, I picked
    Alex up, CARRIED her out with me, and closed the door.
    
    A little while later (15 or 20 minutes), I just happened to look
    towards the bathroom...the door was only open the teeniest of cracks,
    and dear little Alexandra was peering out at me with an angelic
    expression on her face.
    
    *sigh* who can win with furballs?  We haven't had to deal with this
    since Tiki II was a kitten, 9 years ago.  Rico never bothered with T.P.  
    
    K.C.

    Last night I took great care to wash my very last pair of nylons by
    hand and leave them on the door handle to dry.  They were perfect, no
    runs, no snags.
    
    Well, this morning, they were on the floor with a huge hole in them!!
    So, today, I sit at my desk in leggings and sneakers.
    
    -Roberta
    

Gee, Roberta, I didn't realize that Julie spent the night at your house!!
She once destroyed a brand new pair of very expensive Calvin Klein shimmery
hose that I had laid out just before I showered.  I got out of the shower to
find my precious Julie with a very large smile on her face and my hose
wrapped around all four sets of claws.  Seems the more expensive they are,
the more she enjoys them....

Mary

    Hmm, Mary, if Julie did spend the night she sure came in and left
    quietly!!  :^).  But, I think that Herbie is the culprit in this case,
    the silly Himmie that he is!!
    
    :^)
    

That's my Julie!  The Stealth Tabby!!  She probably gave Herbie private lessons.

We gotta get these cats jobs!!!!

Mary

	T.K. seems to have this thing with lettuce!!

	A few weeks ago I found him nesting in the leaf lettuce that
	was drying on towels on the counter.  

	Last night, I found him sitting in the lettuce spinner!!  He
	got in, sat down, then got out again pretty fast.  I guess it
	was not as comfortable as he thought it looked.

	Karen

    I've seen gizmos advertised that claim to prevent tp being
    catified, but I don't recollect where;  probably a cats
    magazine.  What happens if you reverse the direction of the roll?
    

    
    My cat Rascal also used to like to "unroll" and "shred" the toilet
    paper.  What I did was take an old washcloth, wrap it around the TP
    roll, and secure it with a safety pin.  It worked great.
    
    Valerie

I cut up a 2-liter soda bottle and put that around the roll.  (take the 
widest part and cut a length-wise split in it for easy placement over the tp.)

    My Blaise never unrolled the tp -- he just chewed up the entire roll
    and rabbit-kicked it with his back feet while hanging half off the
    toilet!  :^)
    

    T.P. UPDATE:
    
    Since it is obvious that the only way to keep Alex out of the bathroom
    is to lock it (and the only lock on the bathroom door is an eyehook on
    the INSIDE), we'd given up on trying to keep her out.
    
    Lo and behold...the T.P. has been untouched since.
    
    I think she was just trying to prove a point.  (But, JUST IN CASE,
    we're going to take up some of the ideas posted here.)
    
    K.C.

    =.103
    
    Gino loves to do the same with paper towels.  Hasn't happend in a
    while, but the last time it looked like there was 3 feet of snow in the
    pantry.  He actually cut his new teeth on a roll of paper towels.
    
    Giudi

	All this talk about toilet paper shredding reminded me of a note
	that I wrote in FELINE_V1 4 years ago.  I extracted it and here it is.

	Enjoy!

	Karen


              <<< MUTTON::USER2:[NOTES$LIBRARY]FELINE_V1.NOTE;1 >>>
                    -< Meower Power is Valuing Differences >-
================================================================================
Note 1128.0                 Bandits latest antics....                 66 replies
MYVAX::LUBY                                          57 lines  19-FEB-1988 09:41
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    	Since everybody loves to hear about Bandits latest antic....
    
    	Well, here is a week in the life of Bandit and Karen.
    
    	Monday PM : I arrive home to wonder what destruction
    	I will find.  I walk in the door, all looks clear,
    	walk into the kitchen.... DISASTER AREA!!!  DETOUR.  An
    	ENTIRE BRAND NEW roll of paper towels is all over the floor,
    	in shreds.  And my flowers that I got for valentines day
    	were neatly plucked out of their water and are lying on the
    	counter, uninjured but dehydrated.   So I pick up the paper
    	towels with much help from T.K. and Bandit, who is not quite
    	done shredding.  And under the mess I find the plastic stopper
    	for my kitchen drain.  It makes a wonderful hockey puck.
    
    	Tuesday PM : I arrive home and what do I find???  No, not 
    	more paper towels.  I didn't put out a new roll.  I'm not
    	stupid.  This time my kitchen has been decorated with
    	napkins from the napkin holder on the counter.  And again
    	the flowers were lying neatly on the counter, dead from
    	lack of water.  And once again, the hockey puck is on the
    	floor.
    
    	Wednesday PM : Now I have no napkins and no paper towels.
    	And my flowers are dead.  What else could happen??  Well,
    	I guess he decided to give me a day off because nothing
    	was shredded.  Either that or he couldn't find anything to
    	rip up!  Oh, and the bathroom has been off limits for weeks
    	since I've already had that room redecorated by Bandit.  He
    	also took all the trash and decorated my condo with it.  There
    	were cotton balls everywhere!!  (this is his favorite).
    
    	Thursday PM : Last night I got home thinking that I had
    	successfully foiled the MAD SHREDDER by not leaving anything
    	for him to shred.  Well, surprise, surprise....  AN ENTIRE
    	BOX OF Kleenix is decorating my living room.  It was so
    	shredded that it looked like confetti.  I will be picking
    	up pieces for week (what a time for the vacumme cleaner
    	to break - I can't afford to fix it till I get a roommate).
    
    	Friday PM : thats tonight....  I wonder what I will find
    	today when I get home....  The only thing left to shred is
    	the box of kleenix on top of the fridge.  But he doesn't
    	know how to get up there yet....  Of course, he only discovered
    	the joys of the counter two weeks ago so the fridge is
    	probably next.  When he found out how to get onto the counter
    	the kitchen window was facinating.  But there wasn't enough
    	room on the sill for him to sit so he casually knocked the
    	ceramic windmill and the ceramic watering pot into the sink.
    	I was not happy with him!!  They were favorites of mine.....
    
    	So folks!!!  Any of you need a roommate??  Just think, you can
    	live with me and the MAD SHREDDER!!!!!  But he is so cute I
    	can't help but love him..... 
    
    	Karen

My cat Kabuki (Buki) has an obsession with boxes.  One day I came home to find 
a box of spaghetti chewed up, and the spaghetti all strewn over the floor.
A pound of the stuff goes pretty far... the thing I couldn't understand was
how this 10+ pound cat brought the box up from the basement.  One day I caught
him in the act.  Buki was straddling the box of spaghetti, which ran down the 
entire length of his body, and was clutching the top of the box in his jaws.
What a struggle for him, he is a determined little kitty.  I couldn't help but
laugh when I saw this, and still laugh every time I think about it!  He's
my little clown!

Lola

    They are driving me crazy......and we're not even talking about
    kittens these are full grown cats....
    
      Poco is full of energy lately and continue to tip over the
      water bowl on a daily basis....and looks at you and grins!
    
      Barkley has found out where I hide their new catnip filled
      felt toys so he continues to open the top cabinet and throw
      the toys to the crew on the floor.  I already have about
      5 catnip toys available to them...but I guess he likes the
      new ones.
    
      Someone...and nobody will own up to it...has been tossing
      one of my plants on the floor everyday and then rubbing 
      the dirt on my light blue carpet.  (sigh)
    
      They are all full of so much energy lately!!  I find it funny
    when I read stories in this file about things cats do...and sit
    here and say "my cats don't do that"...only to go home and
    find out they do.  I swear they read this file and get ideas!
    
    Sandy
    
    Sandy
    
    

    Came home yesterday to find a potato (a big Idaho!) on the floor but
    not in the kitchen.  How the potato ever jumped from the pottery bowl
    on the counter and rolled two rooms down is beyond me. :^)  Geeze,
    don't cats like their toys?  They have to go searching for new ones!
    We think the brat was the fat bald guy!

    Herbie likes to bat around onions.  If they are on the counter at the
    same time he is... watch out!!
    
    He will bat away anything in his path which isn't so unusual, but to
    see this cat with masses of fur between his toes randomly bat objects
    around on slippery surfaces is too funny.  His loses his footing, and
    looks like he is dancing!!
    
    Silly kitty!
    
    
    -Roberta
    

last evening, as I sat working my crossword puzzle, my roommate came stomping
in from her room, carrying the Dillster....she placed Dilly in my arms,
firmly, and said, "You want your cat!"....after some discussion, it seems
that Dilly had been tilting all the pictures on Marge's walls in odd angles,
by sitting on top of furniture and stretching up and shifting the pictures
around...she was also sitting on the TV, and batting at the people in the
TV, trying to catch them....the final straw came when Marge looked up to
see Dilly dragging things out of her closet.  That was when Marge decided
that I wanted my cat all to myself.  Dilly looked at me with her bright
blue eyes as if to say, "Gee, Mom, I was just playing".  She spent the
rest of the evening, shifting around the pictures and wall hangings in
the family room.  The whole house now has pictures, etc. at all angles
except straight.  I think she is into modern art.

    re: -.1
    
    Harry (The Rat) has, since his arrival in "our" home, rearranged
    hanging pictures and mirrors whenever possible.  Now that he's taller,
    he can reach the curio shadowbox, and has decided to be my local
    arbiter of what is "art" and what is not -- he removes the cheap-o
    figurines from the shadowbox, but never touches the good stuff!
    
    But every picture in my home that is reachable has been adjusted, and
    hangs at a cockeyed angle .... and I guarantee, as soon as I straighten
    it out, Harry comes back and re-adjusts it!

Well, it finally happened.

I finished a jigsaw puzzle, and there was a piece missing.

Now I don't know whether it is a "factory defect" or whether the furballs have
hidden it for me.  and the place is so full of clutter I may never find it!

I guess for now I'm resigned to putting a note in the box for next time saying
that the piece in row x column y is unaccounted for, so I don't go crazy next
time.

They've been so good, all they've done lately is curl up on the part of the
puzzle I'm trying to work on, and not throw pieces on the floor...

Jill

Kyra dis something really funny this morning.

My landlord has been to the house for the last couple of days putting stucco
on the walls in the living room.  He's about half done right now.  We have to
lock the cats in the bedrooms while he's there.

Well, last night he left his ladder in the living room.  This morning i was
feeding the babies and went looking for Kyra.  I couldn't find her anywhere
and I had to put her into the bedroom for the day!  Finally I looked up.
There she was, at the top of the ladder, looking all around at the walls.

I can't figure out if she was wondering what happened to the walls or if
she was just enjoying the better view. (-:

Holly

    I was having trouble sleeping last night.  I think I finally fell
    asleep around 1:30am.  At 6:20am I suddenly woke up.  There was a
    very loud bird chirping outside my window.  Carrie was on the
    windowsill above my bed going nuts.  Onxy realized I was awake and
    tried everything he could to get my attention.  I was desperately
    trying to get one more hour of sleep when Carrie, who had given up
    on the bird, jumped off the windsill onto the bed and right onto 
    my head.  It just wasn't my appointed night for sleeping I guess.
    Lack of real REM sleep may make me a bit punchy at tonight's FELINEr
    dinner.
    
    Jan

    I packed out my suitcase. Then phone ringed. Then light went out. Then
    phone done, suitcase shut, go out, repair light. Then back, wanna put
    suitcase on warderobe. Suitcase heavy. Guess. Yes. Cat in.
    
    Nat

    Let me get this straight...
    
    You packed your CAT?
    
    K.C.

         Sounds like the cat packed himself!
    
    					- Andrea

    I keep a waterbucket in the house so I can take warm
    water up to the rabbit & cats during the cold winter...
    Last night, I turned around to spot Casey sitting in the
    bucket!  He had to work at it, as it's a small bucket and
    he's a porky Korat!!! (:
    
    L-

    Actually, something my kitten did this morning....like 1:00 this
    morning.  She's got a terrible habit of jumping into closets when we
    open them.  The problem is she sneaks in there.  We close.  Woke up at
    4:00 hearing a noise.  She was locked in the closet.  Watch those
    closets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Michele

    My cats do the same thing only in the kitchen. We'll open a cabinet to
    get out a pot or pan or something and they'll walk in to inspect(it's a
    floor level cabinet) Then we'll close it, continue on our merry way and
    usually in the next 1/2 hr or so we'll hear muffled meowing and
    scratching, open the cabinet, and lo and behold-a kitty!
    
    shannon
    

    Both Taja and Herbie like to sneak into open drawers.  Twice I have
    closed them and locked them in there.  It was pretty scarey, having
    gone out to dinner once and come home to open the bureau drawer and out
    pops Taj.  Now I check them all the time to ensure no cats are lurking
    about.
    

    I keep a door stop for my bedroom closet door that keeps
    it permanently partly open.  The kitchen cabinets I can watch and
    check, but the bedroom closet has too many hidey-holes.  And they're
    silent as mice often after they're shut in.

I thought I was good about watching, but last night Missy Hana managed to get
herself into the kitchen cabinet when I looked away for a minute....however,
she wasn't the least but quiet about it.  After about 5 minutes, I hear the
cabinet door rattling and Missy Hana demanding release IMMEDIATELY or the
feline abuse patrol was going to be at me door!!!!  I was quick to open
it and let her out.  I, of course, apologized profusely for being so crass
as to allow her to get her fanny someplace she couldn't get back out of when
she so desired.  With the proper grovelling from me, she was finally appeased.
Boy, that was a close one.  I sure don't want the feline abuse patrol on my
case...they are rough on humans who do not show the proper respect for
those felines who abase themselves by choosing to live with us lower life
forms like humans and dogs.

    re .116,117,118:
    Yes, cat was packed. If she packed herself or wanted to be elevated
    only, she did not say...
    
    re closets and drawers:
    I have only one cat, but if I must *very hastily* go away and check the
    closets and drawers, in *every* one I find a cat - at least it seems so...
    
    	Nat

    Last night, actually......about 9:00pm.....
    
    Looked out to see Nique *playing* with the neighborhood
    SKUNK!!!  The skunk showed no signs of being bothered by
    her attention....that is, until the FOX showed up!!!!!
    AARGGHHH!!!  All I could think of was how much tomato sauce
    /juice did we have!!!!   We quietly opened the door, and called
    her away....Phew!!!!!
    
    L- 

    Not something they did today, but the last reply about the skunk
    prompted me to reply.
    
    My dear departed Fluffy usually got hit by a skunk every spring. We
    tried everyhting we used to do for our dogs growing up, but the smell
    was still overpowering. I had my husband call the vet and ask for a
    recomendation. He said powdered Massengil Douche and warm water! Well,
    after we got up off the floor from laughing, we went to the drug store
    and bought the stuff. It really works! It took two baths, but even
    after one, we could allow her to be in the house. 
    
    I think the tomato products don't work on cats like they do on dogs is
    because dog fur seems to be more like hair, where cat fur is really
    fur.
    
    BTW, we labeled the box "Fluffy Douche Bag"!!!! ;-)
    
    Just an FYI in case anyone needs the info.
    
    Y

    Mods, I think we need a keyword skunk for this one, for future
    ref :-)
    

    This past weekend I took Onyx to a cat show in Vallejo.  He was
    thrilled...not.  This morning as I was saying my goodbyes to all
    kitties, he was nowhere to be found.  I usually do a cat count 
    before leaving to be sure no one is trapped in a closet, etc.  I
    couldn't find him anywhere.  He was bound and determined not to
    be anywhere near me when I left (he made this mistake on Sunday
    and ended up in Vallejo for a second day).  So, I left the closet
    doors open left the house.  I hoping this doesn't become a habit
    or it'll be a real problem getting him in the carrier for Reveler's
    show.  
    
    Sunday morning he walked right up to the carrier I had placed on 
    the table and sniffed it just as I decided it was time to load him 
    up.  I've never seen a cat spread his body out so far to avoid getting 
    in the carrier before.  This is pretty difficult for a sleek, slim
    cat to do too.
    
    Jan

    Sweetie does this.  At first he only hid for a few days after
    a vet visit.  Now as soon as I get dressed in the morning. he holes up
    in a kitty house until I'm safely out the door.  He can tell weekends
    (considered safe) from weekdays (unsafe), probably because I
    follow a different pattern.  Sigh.
    

I think Kyra is trying to tell me something.

This morning, I came to work and hung up my jacket.  I went looking in the
pocket for my book of stamps and found this furry thing.  Pulled it out
and it was Kyra's toy mouse!  Don't know HOW it got there either!!  

Maybe she's trying to tell me that she wants more of them??  who knows!!

Holly

    During last night my wife and I put our cats (Minou and Tarzan) outside
    for some fresh air.
    
    At six o'clock this morning I went to the back door to let them in for
    breakfast. I saw Tarzan walking across the deck with a dead mouse in
    his jaws. I thought I'd let him bring the dead mouse into the
    house, drop it, and I'd give him praise for being such a good hunter. 
    
    Well, everything went according to plan except that when Tarzan dropped
    the "dead" mouse it took off across the family room floor with Tarzan 
    and me in hot pursuit!
    
    When Tarzan finally cornered the mouse, I took it from him and put it
    outside for another day of freedom.
                                  
    Ken
    
       
    
    

RE -1:

The other day Bosco streaked into the house when I got home, and promptly
deposited his mouse catch for the day.  This one wasn't alive, luckily
for me, but four other cats IMMEDIATELY attacked. Since only Bosco gets
outdoor privileges, I guesss they had the opportunity of a lifetime!

There I was, holding off Bosco and four others, trying to figure out how
to reach something to *pick*it*up* without letting a furball carry it off...


bill

    Not something the cats did but something friends did...
    
    We had company for dinner on Friday night and when I opened the door,
    one of them was standing there with a bag of cat litter in his hand. 
    His comment was "We didn't want to come empty handed".  My response was
    "I'll get a vase".  :^)

    I had an important interview today.
    
    This morning, 10 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off, my
    darlin' Rico started walking all over me, then proceeded to "head-butt"
    me, purring all the while, then he walked on my endtable, and started
    to turn on my bedside lamp (those @&%$ brass touch lamps!) to make sure
    I was going to get up!  Alex was following behind, watching the
    "master" at his craft.
    
    K.C.

    
    	Well Audrey went for a trip this weekend and spent the 
    	weekend and my parent's house with hubby.  Well my folks
    	house is 160+ years old and has the old steam radiators.
    	As we have electric heat (blah!) she'd never experienced
    	the hissing noise these radiators make....till this weekend.
    	When the heat started to come up and the radiator started
    	hissing she'd walk over to it, stretch up and cover the valve
    	with her paw, thus stopping the steam.  Uncovered it, covered
    	it, uncovered it, covered it.  It was so funny!  She didn't
    	have a clue as to what to make of this thing.
    
    	The other funny thing was my parent's pooch.  She refuses
    	to eat any dog food other than Top Choice (I think that's 
    	the name of it, it looks like play-doh).  No moist cannned
    	food.  Nothing.  BUT she absolutely LOVED Audrey's cat food.
    	Ate the whole bowl.  I thought my parent's were gonna die
    	laughing.  Here's the pickiest dog in the world when it comes
    	to dog food and she eats cat food??!!
    
    	JJ
    

I was out sick last week, and it was really nice to have the furballs to keep
me company.  And they loved having me there all day to let them in and out and
in and out...

When I was feeling up to working on the (now finished!!!) 1500 piece catnip-
scented jigsaw puzzle of 13 kittens (which proved to me there were only
2 real colors of cats, dark and light, and the light blended into the
blanket!!) I always kept a magazine nearby. That way, when Penny climbed into
my lap, I could just reach for the magazine and read it, rather than having
to disturb her by reaching for puzzle pieces.  It was so relaxing and
unstressful to just do whatever was convenient, and enjoy her rather than
complaining how I couldn't do what *I* wanted to do!

It was quite a challenge, though, to "rub faces" with her without using my
face, which was a total disaster due to my illness (chicken pox, believe it
or not!!)

I really miss them now that I'm back at work, sigh...

Jill

    Jill, don't feel bad.  I had chicken pox when I was 27!!  It was the
    most horrible experience of my life!  They say it is ten times worse
    when you have it as an adult, and I believe them. :')  
    
    Jo

    
    	Well we now have catnip scattered all over the rug in the upstairs
    	hall and bedroom.  We have (or should I say had) this little 
    	burlap bag that a plastic bag of catnip sewn inside of it.
    	It's been around for quite a while.  It's had it.  One of 
    	the monsters finally ripped through the seam and there is catnip
    	EVERYWHERE!  Sasha was eating pieces of it off the rug this
    	morning.  I'm going to have to make a new one or something.
    	Chloe absolutely loved it and she looks soooo cute when rolling
    	around on the floor rubbing in on her face.
    
    	JJ
    

    JJ, I believe the "bag" of catnip was from Hadleigh house. We
        have the same ones and I had thought they were indistructable
        now you have broken my bubble. Oh well... when Mr. Miyagi gets
        pulling on it and ripping it with his claws and licking it I
        can't but help to think it doesn't owe us a single thing.
    
       (Jo and Jill)  better you should have chickenpox than shingles.
        Unfortunately now you are a candidate for them. I had them 3 years
        ago and thought I would die. The virus that causes chickenpox's
        is herpes zosta and that lives in your system till you die. You
        can never get the "pox" again but the herpes zosta can raise it's
        ugly head anytime it wants to. Did anyone tell you to put liquid
        or powdered starch mixed with water on your pox? Works great..
    
        now back to cute things our fur faces have done.....
    
        Barbara

    Alex somehow always comes up with a way to avoid being punished...
    
    If she goes somewhere we don't want her to (on my husband's hobby
    table, on the kitchen table, etc.), we simply squirt her with our
    "No-no Kitty Discipliner" (water bottle).  Well, she found one place
    that we don't like her to be, where we can't use the "No-no"...
    
    on the windowsill over the TV!
    
    We let her on any (and every) other windowsill, but his particular one
    is high-up.  For her to get on it, she has to get behind the TV (where
    there are a lot of wires for the TV, VCR, stereo, etc.).  We can't
    squirt her when she's behind, because of the wires, and we can't squirt
    her when she's on the sill because of the stuff on the TV.
    
    Neither Rico nor Tiki II even WANTED to go on that particular
    windowsill.  We've never had a problem...until now.
    
    We've resorted to leaving the BATHROOM door open (she loves sitting in
    the bathroom, but plays with the t.p.) just to keep her off of the
    sill, but then she divides her time between these 2 forbidden places -
    the sill and the t.p. roll.  (She takes the towel off of the roll, and
    then sits on it while she "unwinds").
    
    We've NEVER had such a willful "child"!
    
    K.C.

Just about the time you begin to believe the animal behavior books that
reassure you that your cat(s) cannot possibly be stubborn ("they just
don't understand what you want from them"), or sinister in intent ("they
aren't doing this to annoy/frustrate you, they are just following instincts"),
you get a night like I had last night...

When I walked into my room after coming home from work, I discovered Hana
trying diligently to hack up a furball into my slippers...I mean it, she
was really trying.  I quickly moved the slippers, and put a paper towel under
her face...and she stopped trying to hack anything up and walked out.  Now,
I KNOW she wanted to do in my slippers and I don't care if you think
I'm paranoid.  She has been trying to do this to me since I started limiting
the amount of time the food is available to her in the evenings.  Later,
after I worked out, showered, and ate dinner, I sat down in my spot on the
couch to work a crossword puzzle.  Dilly, my darling Birman, dragged her
favorite toy to my feet - I said I would play with her as soon as my puzzle
was finished.  She jumped up on the arm of the couch, reached her paw out
and pulled over my full glass of water.  I watched her do it.  She then
leaped out of the way and sat there watching while I cleared the coffee
table, dried everything off, threw away two articles I had saved for later
reference, and dried the carpet with a towel....I KNOW she knew what she
was doing!  If I wouldn't play with her, I wasn't going to do my crossword
puzzle either.

Only other cat-lovers will understand....they do try to drive us crazy,
I know it.

I was so busy telling you all how cute the critters were when I was home sick
that I didn't tell you the horrible part!  This happened when I was suffering
from the itching a lot, and was very unhappy...

I had left the jigsaw puzzle (remember?  1500 pieces, and very hard, too?)
uncovered for a little while.  I came back after hearing "cat noises" and
discovered a large part of the puzzle hanging off the edge of the table!
Luckily the pieces stuck together quite well in this puzzle, so it was
really just hanging there and not much if any had fallen on the floor.  I was
kind of panicky, but carefully going about the business of trying to salvage
it by putting a flat surface under the hanging part, when Tigger jumped
(back, probably!) up on the table, and as I tried to get him to remove
himself, he kicked off with his back legs and knocked most of it on the
floor!  I screamed  (involuntarily) and scared the daylights out of him, which
was good since it kept him away while I performed the cleanup operation.  As
I said earlier, I was lucky the puzzle stuck together so well..I was able to
salvage a lot of sections and put them back together without a whole lot
of effort, but I was crying hysterically while I did this, from frustration
and anger (mostly at myself for leaving the puzzle vulnerable and at the
itching that was driving me nuts!).  In the end, I think it helped me to
let out a lot of the stress from being sick, but it was no fun while I was
salvaging my work!

Jill

    I cried the whole time I had the pox!!  I used to sit in the bathtub
    with some special bath stuff and cry my eyes out!  
    
    Also, I remember covering my whole body with calamine lotion and having
    my hair all pulled back from my face, calamine in my hair, everywhere. 
    Yucko!
    
    Glad you are well now.  I know if was horrible for you.
    
    Jo

    Well, there is only one more non-show morning before Reveler's cat
    show on Saturday and Onyx has still not gotten over hiding as I leave.
    This is going to be very interesting.  Just the other day I got ready
    to leave and he hid under the bed.  I went into the kitchen to shut a 
    cabinet door and he came out of the bedroom (guess he thought I had
    left) took one look at me walking towards him and did an about face 
    and high-tailed it back into the bedroom.
    
    Jan

    re .142:
    They do. And they do well. They are much more intelligent than us
    humans. They are intelligent enough to hide their intelligence...
    
    Nat 8*)

    
    	Brandi was in serious **** this morning!
    
    	Since she's been turned into an indoor only cat she's put
    	on a lot of weight.  Therefore when jumping off of not
    	very sturdy things (like our speaker), they wobble.  Well
    	on top of said speaker WAS a very large and heavy lead 
    	crystal vase that was a wedding gift.  I put the colored
    	glass/marbles in it with a bamboo stick type arrangement.
    	She knocked it on the floor for the last time this morning.
    	The vase shattered into a million pieces.  I WAS NOT a happy
    	camper.  That was one of my favorites and the largest vase 
    	we had.........
    
    	JJ
    

    This morning I came out of my bedroom and saw the funniest thing!
    I better put this behind a form feed for those with delicate
    sensibilities...
    
    
    Joui was in the hallway being bred...
    
    
    by LIMOGES who is 9 weeks pregnant and ready to burst at any moment!!!
    :') :') :')
    
    Neither of them seem to think that there was anything unusual in this
    arrangement, and they were quite displeased with my interuption!
    
    Jo

    Well, I got my kitty toys from California (Kiddy Kompany) Monday, and
    the girls absolutely love them!! I got the Spinning Sparrow and the
    Rabbit Racer. 
    
    The funny thing that happened is this. I took out the Rabbit one, and
    was playing with Furby. When she caufgt it, she started growling like
    she had captured a real animal! Then, while she still had the bunny fur
    in her mouth, I started waving the feathers over her head.
    
    She started to play with the other toy, but WOULD NOT open her mouth to
    let go of the bunny fur! She was growling at the feathers later, like
    they were going to try to take the bunny away from her. It had me
    rolling on the floor!
    
    These toys are WONDERFUL! Thanks Jo, for pointing me to this Kompany!
    
    Love,
     Y

    My hub resupplied Alex with those jingle balls.  He took them out of
    the package and spread them on the floor.
    
    We have a box that was used for chicken delivery that we hadn't thrown
    out yet (because Alex started to play in it), and Alex proceeded to
    pick up every jingle ball, and put them in this box!
    
    Now, when she wants to play fetch, she goes up to the box, takes a ball
    out, plays for a while, puts the ball back, takes out ANOTHER ball,
    etc.
    
    K.C.

    I have a basket that I keep all of Eddie Haskell's toys in. When I'm
    picking up the living room, I just toss everything in there. He takes
    them out at his leisure.
    
    ng

    Yup, my kids have their own toy basket too.  Taja is the only one who
    will go over and flip the whole basket and roll in all the toys.  The
    others will simply take one or two out at their leisure.  :^)
    

    Here is another one with a toy basket filled to the rim...but I
    have one problem...my husband insists of taking every toy out
    and throwing it around the house for the kids.  I could kill him...
    because I'm the one that gets home first...and goes around picking
    up all the toys.
    
    I tried to explain to him that the cats will get what they want...
    but he is more stubborn then them!  I'd give him up...if he wasn't
    such a cat lover and a great pooper scooper!!!
    
    Sandy

Beth has a thing for those little fur mousies, but she also has a thing
for batting them under the furniture, so when I move the furniture to reclaim
all the lost mousies, I put the spare mousies in the microwave oven so none
of the other cats can get to them.  Last night, a friend stopped over and
wanted to warm something up in the microwave..................imagine the
sound of the microwave door slamming and this piercing scream.....

    Mary's previous entry (which had me in stitches!!) jogged this reply.
    
    Taja also has the habit of batting his toys under the furniture, and
    then come meowing for me to retrieve them.  Now whenever he does this I
    make a game of it and say, "C'mon Taj, let's go on a toy search!" and
    he will run after me and watch me retrieve his toys from under things. 
    Sometimes if I enter a room and see him peering under a couch or chair,
    I automatically know what's going to happen next....  Usually he will
    look under the furniture, then up at me, and scream for help!
    

    
    
    	re: Mary
    
    	You forgot that she drowns them in the water bowl first.  =)
    
    	re: Roberta
    
    	Must be the Siamese in him! Audrey does the same thing.
    

    RE:  the mousies.  
    
    If it was just the furniture, life would be easy.  We live in a very
    old house with many, many mousie-sized openings in door jambs, closet
    thresholds, etc.  Shalimar is obsessed with the fur mousie, and since I
    store it in a desk drawer, she's also obsessed with the fact that the
    sound of a drawer opening means a mousie is about to be born.  
    
    Edgell also likes the mousie, and has a habit of putting his toys away
    when he's done -- then forgetting where he put them.
    
    So whenever I find Shalimar and Edgell sitting at my feet and looking
    at me with a sad, pleading look...I grab the "mousie tools"
    (flashlight, 18-inch ruler) and the three of us go on a mousie hunt. 
    They've gotten so good at helping that I no longer have to lie down and
    look under anything -- I just shine the light and let them look and
    sniff.  I watch them...when their ears and whiskers say YES! I know
    we've found the elusive mousie.
    
    Jo-Ann

    Jo-Ann, our Chubs does the same thing and is always losing ping pong
    balls in various places around the house, such as underneath radiators,
    furniture and stereo cabinets.  I never realized what I was asking him
    was risque until we had male friends over the other night and I was
    following Chubs around asking him where his balls were.  Our friends
    were in stitches with laughter.  Guess I shouldn't be asking such
    personal questions!  :^)

    Cheryl, semantics are everything!  :^)
    
    We have not lost a single jingle ball since Alex started storing them
    in that one box.  Now, when she's done with one, she puts it away.
    
    We're STILL looking for the 6 missing ones, the 4 missing foam ones,
    and 5 lost mousies.
    
    I'm just afraid that if we start to put ALL of her toys there, she'll
    stop using it, and start losing them again.
    
    K.C.

I am glad the Chief is not  the only cat to get his fur mice all the way under
the couch and not be able to get them back out.  I have a ruler underneath one
of the cushions just for that reason.  I am still short 2 mice that I have yet
to find.  At least I know wher emost of his hiding places.

	I have anther story to tell.  Wednesday afternoon I happen be stop by
the house around 3ish so I let Chief home.  When I got home around 6 he was
no where to be seen, so I figured he was having a great time.  Anyway as the
hours got later I got more and more worried.  Finally out came the flashlight
and I went across the street to search the woods behind the houses there, including
what is the last of old model homes for sale (which has been sold).  No Chief 
anywhere as I called him.   I then happen to move the flashlight towards the
window of the model home and lo and behold he was locked in there.  This home
is still furnished for now so he loves to wander in there.  Well when the people
who bought the house were looking around ( as the agents told me the next day)
Chief must have snuck in without them seeing him.  Well I finally got to him 
yesterday at about 10am when the agents were to show up.  I did beep one of
 the people from the builders company at 7:45 am, but she told me that agents 
were the only ones with keys.  What she did not tell me was that the cleaning 
people were coming so they were the actually ones who let him out at about 9:30.
I dont think he will be wandering in there anymore!  At first he was sorta mad
at me for letting him out and having to stay in there without food for about 16 hours,
but last night he was real affectionate again.  While he was in there he did find
a sorta liter box.  In the laundry room (same place his box is at in our home)
there was a small dog bed, i.e. a basket and pillow since this place was 
a furnished model to be made to look homey.  Well that pillow was real soft and
he thought he made a great place to pee.  I did not find any poop anywhere.
Well we are all happy together once again.

    
    Our Beastie loves thoes fur mice too but I get pretty tired of digging
    them out from under couches, refrigerators, and etc.  Solution>  Tied
    a string to their tails.  Beast has just as much fun playing with the
    string and the string brings the mouse to life.  The best part is when
    the mouse escapes under the furniture, he plays with the string and
    out pops the mouse.

    (re .161: keep an eye on cat while playing with string, can be
    dangerous, too.)
    
    re .153: maybe your husband plays fetch with *you*....???? 8*)
    
    Nat

    Addition to .157
    
    I've added another tool to the mousie search and rescue tool bag.
    Tweezers.  Last night was the successful finish of a two day mousie
    hunt.  I found it in the grate on the side of the fireplace, and had to
    grab its fur with tweezers to pull it out.
    
    j-a.g.

    
    Nat >> maybe your husband plays fetch with you!!!!
    
        And like the cats..I chase them around and put them away!  But
        I'm getting smart (also like the cats)...I hid half the toys
        last night so my husband couldn't throw them!!  God...I think
        I have been living with too many cats for too long!!
    
    Sandy

last night was mid-week grooming night....but, I usually do this on Wed.
so it wasn't the regularly scheduled event...anyway, I said to my roommate,
"let's do the cats now" - and Dilly, my Birman stood up from her favorite
napping spot, looked over her shoulder at me, and scampered from the room!
Marge said, "I don't believe she understands english, but...maybe, we need
to come up with a code phrase to discuss grooming cats from now on".  I
said, "okay, Marge, what phrase would you suggest?"....Marge closed the
kitchen doors and said in a very low voice, "Red alert.  that's what we'll
say when we want to groom the cats".  And people wonder why older folks
get a reputation for being a little odd....now, we will be talking about
grooming our cats/taking them to the vets/bathing them in "code phrases".
I can't wait until Mom comes to visit and hears this stuff...I'll be in
a rubber room!

Anyway, we decided to do Dilly first so the usual chase around the house was
on.  Dilly loves this game - she runs around and under things and we have
to catch her to comb her coat.  She suddenly disappeared and we couldn't
find her anywhere...then Sadie, the dog, sorta flinched a little bit...I
Looked at the space between Sadie and her basket...and there was Dilly,
hunkered down and HIDING.  I laughed until I had tears in my eyes.  Here
was Sadie looking resolutely innocent, hiding that little minx behind her
rump...and Dilly was really flat to the floor, pretending she wasn't there.
With her eyes closed so we wouldn't see her.  Dilly was tickled, snuggled,
and combed - she survived it very well.

I just adore the way these two play together, and support one another...Dilly
washes Sadie's face, Sadie will let Dilly take her basket and Sadie will
lay on the floor, guarding the kit while she sleeps....it appears that Sadie
will also hide Dilly from Mom if grooming or bathing is on the horizon.  The
best of friends...

    They learn fast.  Tiki hated being called "cat" so much that we kept
    trying to come up with different languages...
    
    After a while, Tiki hated the word "Cat" in French, Spanish, Latin,
    Russian, Tailanese, German, Canadian slang, and, of course, English.
    
    But...back to the present.
    
    Since yesterday was a combination family reunion/surprise birthday
    party, I was quite exhausted last night, but Alex wanted to play.  We
    went to bed, and all thru the night I kept getting woken up by those
    &*$%# jingle balls.
    
    I woke up this morning, with _3_ of them on me, and Alex sitting there,
    looking like such a sweet little girl.
    
    K.C.

    I don't know who was responsible for this but I think it was Stitch
    because he's the fur mouse junkie.  Any way, one of these half eaten
    fur bitten mousies ended up out side the house (maybe he carried it out
    there when we go down to pick up the mail) and some how got left
    behind.  Sunday morning my landlady was outside sweeping - I had the
    windows open and I heard this blood chilling screem - the woman is
    beating somenting into the ground with a broom - looked like she was
    about ready to faint - so I ran down stairs to see what the fuss was
    about -
    
    Yep - you guessed it
    
    ahemmmmmm - I'm still laughing over this one and I know I'm gonna have
    a hard time keeping a straight face the next time I see her.
    
    Giudi

this falls into the "look, mom, I've been eating my cheerios!" category.
This morning, I woke up to find both entire flying furry mouse toys on my
pillows...this means that my littlest cat, Dilly (blue-point birman) managed
to drag a long plastic pole with a furry, vaguely mouse shaped thing attached
by a long cord, down the hall from the living room, into my room, AND UP ON
THE BED - twice.  She also managed to do this while I slept.  I found both
toys neatly laid across the top of the three pillows I have on the bed....I
guess she wanted me to have anything I might choose to play with available
for use - she does know how busy I am getting ready for work in the morning.

I was impressed...and Dilly, of course, was quite proud of herself.  Missy
Hana was somewhat upset that the toys had migrated into her room...she has
rules about such things.  Last I saw, she was dragging the toys out of the
room and down the hall.  Who knows where I will find them when I return
home tonight.

    
    
    	re: Guidi
    
    	That's too funny.
    
    	We decided to set our aquarium up again.  Well I think Audrey's
    	only moved herself from in front of it to eat, sleep or hit
    	the litter box.  Other than that she's right in front of it.
    	Kitty TV strikes again.  She was talking to it this morning.  =)
    
    	JJ
    

    I know what you mean about them not taking their eyes off it.  I've had
    these 2 albino catfish for about 5 years now and when they get going
    they realy DART throughout the tank - like neon flashes - Stitch goes
    crazy - especially when they go to the back of the tank and the bake
    side is mirrored so he can't see through the glass.
    
    I'm working on getting a larger tank and moving the whole business into
    the living room .
    
    Well, it's rent day and I've got to stop by and see the Land Lady -
    hope I can keep a straight face........
    
    
    Giudi

a new Dilly and Sadie(the dog) story:

This morning, I came out of my shower to see Sadie blissfully dozing in
her big basket (nice mattress covered with two blankets in a giant
wicker basket - a perfect "nest")....and curled up right next to her tummy
was a little Birman cat....also snoozing blissfully.  I hated to disturb
them - but Sadie had a full day of chasing butterflies ahead of her in the
backyard.  I wish I'd had the camera out - this one was a keeper for sure.
At any rate, this is the first time they have shared the basket together.

I bet I could get pictures of these two in a calendar...

    On Monday I watched the 10 PM news on channel 56, turned
    off the TV with the remote (which I left on the couch) and went to bed.
    I got home early on Tuesday (about 5:10) and as I went to put my key
    into the lock, I could hear someone talking. I decided to chance
    entering the house, and up on entering, I discovered that it was the
    TV. Now, Pip and the late Argus used to turn the TV on via the remote
    all the time, but they'd just lounge on the couch watching. I went into
    the living room to see that Eirene, my little black Siamese, was
    sitting right in front of the TV *watching* channel *5*, which happened
    to be the Oprah Winfrey show. Every time there was a shot of Oprah,
    Eirene kept trying to grab her microphone.
    
    
    Deb

    re .166
    
    The Hungarian word for cat is 'macska' pronunciation 'muchkuh', and for
    kitty 'cica' pronunciation 'tzeetzuh'.
    
    Nat :^)

This morning when the feline alarm went off, I noticed Hemi sitting on the
windowsill by the open window (Bill had left a few windows open last night
because of the warm weather).  We have casement windows, which don't have
ledges that are big enough to sit on.  Then I realized that there was no
screen, and Hemi was sitting *outside* the window on the sill!!  I removed her,
and looked out the window, and saw CJ (or Penny? :-)) on the ground looking
up at me (where ground is luckily only half a story; as we have a split-level.)
I was wondering why there was so much room in bed last night, when I knew
I had let CJ in the night before! (Penny hadn't come in, and Tigger had gone
out just as we were going to bed).  Bill sort of woke up and asked what was
happening, and I told him there was no screen in the window, and he said
"you're kidding!", I said "of course I'm not kidding", and he said "I must have
been on drugs last night"  (this is his latest expression that he
picked up at work :-)), followed by "no wonder there are so many mosquitos
in here!".

Jill

    We have been feeling pretty guilty in keeping Van Gogh confined
    to his room...so this past weekend we went to the Boxboro show
    and bought another Arubacat tree (3-tier), a new catbed, a floor
    scratching post, a catnip catpad, and some new toys!!  (Yup...very
    expensive weekend).
    
    When we got home...I had all the new stuff in my kitchen and we let
    VG out to play. I was so excited to see is face when he saw all the
    new things!!   Well the little SH**head layed on the floor and played
    with a paper price tag from the Pat Brody shelter.   I could have
    killed him...I can get him all the paper tags he wants...without
    spending a penny!!!
    
    But...he does enjoy the tree because now he can sit near the window
    and pretend to attack all the birds, cats, mice in the yard!!!!
    
    Sandy

This morning, when I awoke, Miss Hannah and Si-monkey were nowhere to be seen.  

Evenafter my shower they still hadn't made an appearance. (These to usuall
show up as soon as I appear to be conscious, i.e. able to serve them their
breakfast since they are of course STARVING).  As I wandered through the rest
of the condo, I finally made it to the recently finished basement.  There
were Hannah and Simon, staring at this piece of black 'rope' on the floor.  Simon
picks up the 'rope' and gives it a good fling into the air.  Hannah looks at me
as if to say 'Look, Ma, Look at Simon's new toy!'  Simon just gives me a cursory
look 'Oh, it's you...' and goes back to flinging his 'rope'.  The basement/family
room also stunk.  I finally got a closer look at the 'rope'.  Lo and behold, it's
not a 'rope' at all, but a 15" GARTER SNAKE.  How this bugger got into the 
place, I'll never know.  I've lived there 5.5 years and never had an uninvited 
creature larger than an ant or a moth in there. (It was also new construction 
when I moved in.) 

Anyway, I grabbed some paper towels and picked the critter up and unceremoniously
dumped it outside.  It appeared to be quite dead, although I'll know more when I 
get home tonight (if it's still in the place I dumped it).  My conclusion is that 
the smell is scared/dead garter snake smell.  Ick.  I guess I'll have to open the 
windows and air the basement out!!!

At least I know I will not be attacked in my bed by any such creature - my 
mighty hunter (Simon) and his supervisor (Hannah-kit)  are ever watchful, 
protecting me as I slumber.....

    And now the fun begins...
    
    Alex was always an active little kitten - she loves to run, chase and
    climb, but she really never developed the spring in her rear for true
    jumps...
    
    until this morning.
    
    My hub called me into the kitchen this morning to point out Alex in the
    sink.  Nothing unusual about that - she usually climbs onto the chair,
    "step" over to the microwave stand, and on to the counter and the sink. 
    Problem - my hub was standing in front of the chair and the
    micro-stand.
    
    Just before I left for work, I saw Alex tear out of the bedroom, skid
    in the hall, then JUMP from the floor to the top of the turntable,
    which is on a 5 drawer small bureau (about 4 1/2" tall)!  Add to that
    height the fact that she jumped over a box that was sitting in front of
    said bureau...that's quite a leap for someone that's never leaped
    before!
    
    K.C.

Beth got her first official screaming and spanking this morning....
There is nothing Beth likes better than an open window (maybe except a
mousie), and it's been nice enough to leave windows open for her.  I have
two windows in my bedroom, one of which has a table in front of it so she
can easily gain access to the window.  But is that good enough for her?
NNNOOOOOO....she has to want to be in the window for which the only access is
grabbing on to the drapes and pulling her way up.  Well, needless to say,
she pulled down the drapes, yanking the curtain rods right out of the wall!
I hollered at her and gave her a little slap on the hind side.  She was very,
very upset with me!!  Somehow, I neglected to feel guilty...

As I drove off to work, I looked up at the front window and saw this little
kitten hanging from the screen at the top of the window.......

Hmmmmmmm

    AAHHH Mary now how can you not feel guilty.  She only used the
    drapes because she couldn't see the table!!  (smile!)
    
    Sandy

No, she can see the table very clearly!!  She wanted to use the window
*without* a table!  You know, you try to make things easy for these cats
and this is how they reward you.......

It's a good thing she's too cute for her own good......

It was too cool to leave the windows open this morning, so she was last
seen running upstairs with a mousie clutched in her teeth...gotta love her!


Mary

    Finally!
    
    I had an emergency yesterday, but all is cleared up.  I could NOT get
    into FELINES until just now!
    
    Yesterday my hub called me from home...Alex had been stung by a hornet! 
    With a little luck (and priceless advice from Kim Trainque and Nancy
    Cross - THANK YOU BOTH!!!) we got her paw soaked and now she is showing
    no sign of any problem.
    
    The funny thing is, Alex had just "caught" the hornet when it stung
    her.  She got so mad that she HIT the hornet over and over - 5 times,
    with the paw that was stung!  She actually knocked a wing off, and
    possibly killed it!  (Leigh finished the job with chemical warfare
    (RAID) and closing off the room for the rest of the day)
    
    By the time I got home from work, she wasn't even limping.
    
    K.C.

    We took Chubs to the vets yesterday so he could be weighed.  Upon
    pulling into the driveway, he threw up all over himself and the cat
    carrier.  The vets assistant said not to worry, it happens all the
    time.  (Is there a "most embarrassing note" in this conference?)  She
    cleaned up the cat (and the cage, yahoo!) and Thunder Thighs has gained
    another half pound.  
    
    On the way home, I thought "wow, that was super nice of them to clean
    the cage, now I don't have to".  No sooner did that thought occur to me
    and Chubs lost it again, sigh....  Guess he's not as adapted to riding
    in autos as we expected.  The last time he peed in his cage.  I'm not
    sure if we are progressing or regressing but he sure was one happy cat
    once he was back home.  Naturally, he headed right for the food bowl to
    replenish his food supply. :^)

    Not sure where to put this but I thought it would be wise to inform
    other readers of the dangers of garage doors.  Lea is our only outdoor
    cat and she has this bad habit of jumping onto my car so she can jump
    up onto the rafters in the garage to sleep.  

    We had company on Friday night and we were using the grill to make
    dinner.  The garage door was open so we could go in and out to check
    the food on the grill.  After dinner, my husband pushed the button for
    the garage door opener/closer and off we went to the living room.  Soon
    after, we heard this incredibly loud screeching noise.  Little did we
    know, Lea had been sleeping on top of the garage door.  Once the door
    starting descending, I'm sure it woke her up.  :^)  Needless to say, we
    couldn't see her in the garage because we were looking under the door,
    not on top of it!  There she was in the corner, howling like the wind. 
    Her leg must have been pinched at the end because she appeared to be
    stuck and in pain.  I ran to the outside of the garage and she was
    gone.  Scared the life out of me....but she was able to get herself
    free.  We grabbed her and brought her inside to check on her condition.
    She rolled around on the oriental carpet, indulging in all the
    attention and loving every minute of it.  Hard to believe, but she's
    fine!  

    Ever since the incident, she's been REALLY friendly towards me.  I'm
    not complaining.  :^)

    Thanks for this warning -- my cat nephews do exactly the same thing --
    use the car as a stepping stone to the garage loft.  I knew about cats
    being in danger if the door closed on them when they were on the ground
    (the auto stop mechanism on garage doors often doesn't,) but this other
    danger hadn't occured to me.

    Last night after retiring I heard a familiar thump sound. I'd know that
    sound anywhere...it's the sound of a 25-lb cat jumping up on a counter.
    He only does this when no one is around. I hissed into the darkness
    "Spike, get DOWN". I heard this VERY LOUD "chhhhiiirrruuuppp" sound,
    coming over the nursery monitor stationed in my son's room. At least he 
    had the sense to talk INTO the monitor base, so I could hear him well 
    enough! And he did answer me : ) 
    Sarah

    This is actually a dog story, but it has a cat in it....
    
    Last night, I noticed a cat lounging in the backyard, so I looked to
    see where the dog was.  This dog has no experience with cats, so I
    wondered how she was reacting.  She was standing, with perked ears,
    about 5 yards from the cat just looking.  Then I went outside and
    talked to the kitty, then went to pet it.  Very friendly long-haired
    brown tabby, and, unfortunately, a whole male (I think:-).  The dog
    came up behind me so that I was between the dog and the cat, and I
    took hold of her collar.  At this point, the friendly kitty decided to
    go see Shasta.  Well Shasta practically ripped my arm off trying to get
    away from the BIG BAD MONSTER kitty!  (This is a German Shepherd mix,
    we're talking about here.  Not a small dog.)  Shasta wouldn't come any
    closer than 3 yards, and just barked when I called her.  It was one of
    the funniest things I've ever seen!  A big ol' dog terrified of a
    friendly little furball!   :^)
    
    

    
    Tag your it.  For the longest time (since he was born 1.6 yrs ago) 
    my faithfully attached Felix would wake me up every morning long 
    before the alarm.  Favorite times 3:30, 4:30, and 5:20!  Well for
    the past week he hasn't even attempted to wake us up, we've been
    waking him up when we get up. My husband was so proud of Felix's 
    maturity that he bought him and his brother Oscar a toy.  Well my
    husband figures that it was his brother who finally convinced him
    to let us sleep.  Happy sleep - think again!
    
    Oscar has decided to be our new alarm clock!  Well at least with
    Oscar he doesn't knock over lamps, he just sits on you or licks
    your face (keep in mind his name fits his appearance and yes he was
    named after the tv character Oscar Madison).
    
    Oh well maybe next week we'll be able to sleep again.  
    
    Kim, Oscar & Felix :')

    Yesterday afternoon little Shalimar (blue/cream tabby Maine
    Coon-look-alike) was helping me weed the flower garden.  Actually, she
    was playing jungle cat and I was weeding.  A particularly neat bug
    caught her eye, and she began digging -- furiously -- to get the bug.
    She had me in hysterics, laughing at her.
    
    Her ears were attached to her paws.  When she plunged her paw into the
    dirt her ears slammed back onto her head.  When she pulled her paw out
    of the dirt, her ears came back to her alert, straight up position.   Now,
    imagine how fast her paws were flying -- in-and-out-in-and out.  Her
    little ears were flapping like wings -- I was waiting for her to start
    hovering just above the ground.
    
    Jo-Ann

    
    
    	bhahahahahahahaaaa!  Too funny Jo-Ann!
    

    Earlier today my hub called (he is home today).  He couldn't find Alex
    anywhere!
    
    He's been somewhat overprotective of the furballs since Tiki died, and
    if he doesn't see them after a certain amount of time, he worries.  He
    is afraid of them getting stuck in a plastic bag (which we don't have a
    lot of anyway), falling sick (like Tiki), or somehow getting outside. 
    (I have to confess that I share this overprotective attitude.)
    
    There aren't that many different hiding places in our apartment, and he
    had searched them all.  Rico was under the bed - no Alex anywhere.
    
    I suggested giving them some canned food "treat" to lure her out.  No
    sign.
    
    He decided to search one more time.  He found her...out on the enclosed 
    porch!
    
    He said that when he went out to check the mail, he only had the inner
    door open for just a second, and he didn't feel OR hear her slip out. 
    But there she was - closed out on the porch!
    
    She's miffed about being closed out, but a few seconds with the "treat"
    soothed her.  Otherwise she was fine.
    
    *sigh* how they worry us...  ;^)
    
    K.C.

    Last night my hub, a friend and I were sitting around and talking. 
    Suddenly we heard Alex howl.  We didn't think anything of it (it wasn't
    her "I'm hurt" howl) and we ignored her.  She kept on howling, so we
    finally decided to see what-all the fuss was about.
    
    She was sitting in front of the "office", which is usually closed, and
    just howling at the door.  This was unusual, as she usually knows that
    when the door is closed she doesn't go in.  Period.
    
    Suddenly it hit us.
    
    My husband had to go into that room for just 5 minutes earlier.
    
    So, we open the door, and out streaks Rico!  We had accidentally locked
    him in the office, and Alex was telling us to get him OUT.  None of us
    had seen Rico go in when Leigh went in earlier.
    
    K.C.

    This actually happened on Sunday - sleep-in day??  We've been getting
    up extra early since January so the kids get fed a couple of hours
    earlier so come Sunday they just don't realize that we aren't about to
    get out of bed at 5:00 a.m. to feed them.
    
    Well Pippin started it - she creamed my perfume tray, she tipped over
    the little trash basked in the bed room and started shredding paper,
    then we heard the comotion coming from Richard's office, waste basket
    turned over - paper being batted around and then chewed and spit out -
    back to the bedroom - lets go in the closet and jump up on the shelf
    and throw all the sweaters on the floor - we've got our eyes open
    pretending to be asleep by the way - so Stitch gets into it by playing
    with everything she threw around - I roll over cuz I didn't want her to
    hear me laugh and she ends up on my night-stand - one paw on the
    kleenex container so it won't slip (first time I saw her do this) and
    with her mouth is pulling out the tissues and flinging them my way.
    
    I get up - look at the disaster and go into the kitchen to feed her -
    she's meowing all the way - my god the baby is starving - so I put the
    food out - she sniffs it and walks away.
    
    morning mom,
    
    Giudi
         

Dilly is teaching me how to play ball.   She whipped up to Sadie last night
and grabbed Sadie's tennis ball....quickly batting it away to a safe corner
under the coffee table.  Once she had the ball, she began to decide the
rules of her game....push the ball to mom and wait for it to be pushed back...
leap on the ball, trapping it in the front paws...then, try to sit on the
ball.  Now that last part is not working at this point, but she is still
working out exactly what one DOES with a tennis ball.  If you could see my
7 pound wonder cat with this HUGE tennis ball, you'd roll over laughing.
She is so intense about this, as if figuring out what we can do with the ball
is very important.  What a clever little girl....and her breeder said that
Birmans aren't "rocket scientists"...well, maybe not, but Dilly is certainly 
a budding ballologist.

Sadie is watching the other toys much closer these days.....

    Alex has 2 new favorite toys...the jingle-balls have fallen by the
    wayside.
    
    First one is a 3 foot tall pink stuffed Unicorn that we had "adopted"
    (a neighborhood girl was told by her mother to "get rid of it", but she
    COULDN'T throw it away, and she knew that we collected stuffed animals. 
    She has visitation rights).  Alex climbs it, sleeps under it, falls off
    of it, uses it as a trampoline, a pillow, a hidey-hole and a "sulk
    spot".
    
    Second is a Micro Machine Richard Petty #43 STP race car!  Since we are
    race fans, and this is the last year Petty is racing, we have started
    to collect some Petty memorabilia.  Alex always liked playing with
    Matchbox cars, but she can't carry them well (unless they have a large
    "wing" or are convertable).  She "stole" the Micro Machine car from our
    display, and bats it around...even "races" it in a circle around the
    coffee table, and uses a cabinet as a "tunnel"!  She had also "stolen" a
    Micro Machine "Woody" and blue pickup truck (these came as "extras"
    with some M.M. motorcycles, that are to "scale" with my hub's HO layout
    - his real hobby) and races these around (this morning the Woody got
    washed in the waterbowl), but her all-time favorite is the Petty race
    car.
    
    We almost always know that if we can't find the car...look under the
    Unicorn!  :^)
    
    K.C.

Last night I was just finishing up reading a magazine before going to bed when
Tigger jumped onto the table and sat down right on it.  I stood up to let him
out but he just sat there (gee, did he hear Bill say I was spending too much
time reading those (Games) magazines? :-))  Then Penny jumped up and sat down
right next to him.  Great, two against one, well, I'm bigger so I win!  I
started to pull the magazine out from under (big) Tigger, he hissed at
Penny, and they both jumped off!

Jill, back from vacation,sigh...

    Woodstock, Munchkin's daughter, is visiting for about 10 days.  Munch
    is almost 20; Woody is almost 19 - talk about two geriatric brats!
    Until last night, every time Woody saw her father, she'd sniff; kiss;
    spit (in that order).  Munch always gave her this, "What's your problem, 
    kid?" look, and then give me a very dirty look. 
    
    Yesterday, I brought them both outside for a bit to enjoy the sunshine. 
    Munch was ready to come in, but Woody walked past the front door and
    just continued to the front shrubbery.  Munch looked at me; visibly 
    sighed, and followed her until she was ready to come in the house (They
    both took long naps from all the exercise!). 
    
    He's always taken his father duties very seriously, but I'm surprised
    (and touched) that at his advanced age, he still looks after his kid!
    Mutu wouldn't give the kids the right time of day, from the time they
    were born!   
    
    

    We were watching "Silence of the Lambs" last night on free TMC,
    when towards the very end of the movie, we heard this awful high
    pitched screaming coming through the kitchen window.  Hubby looks
    at me and I tell him it sounds like Nique has caught a bird (at
    10:45 pm?) and I'm going out to look.  Flashlight in hand, I go
    out back to find Nique staring at this patch of grass in front of
    her, which is screaming like a siren.  She had caught a shrew, and
    brought it home alive!!!  Wow, can 2 ozs of dark gray fur scream!
    I praised Nique, who then walked away from the shrew.  I tried
    to catch it in a pail, but it hopped out and ran to find a hidey hole.
    Nothing like it to raise the hair on the back of your neck, while
    watching a suspense movie...
    
    L-

    Lynne, did she eat the shrew "with some fava beans and a nice chianti,
    slirp, slirp".  :^)  
    
    (sorry - couldn't resist! it's one of my favorite lines from that great
    movie!)

    We always get 2% milk but seeing that I wanted to make ice cream, I
    wrote "whole milk" on the shopping list.  My husband came home from the
    store and said "sorry, no whole males at Alexander's".  See if I tell
    him about Sandy Merritt's comment ever again.  :^) :^)

    AHHHHH I'd much prefer a whole male....vs whole milk!!!!!  Gee do
    males come in 2%!!!!
    
    Sandy

    I finally got my two 3-month old kittens!  Yeah!!!  They are so cute
    and silly sometimes, and they love their scratching platform.
    
    They were abandoned and my friend caught the babies but not the mama,
    so they were taken from their mother at about 4 weeks.  The reason I
    bring this up is that Nicky suckles *himself*!  I don't think he finds
    a nipple or anything, just sucks on the fur and generally makes a
    slobbery mess out of his tummy.  It's the funniest site because he kind
    of lays on his back but curled over so he can get to his belly, and his
    feet are kneading so fast.  Sometimes Lasher joins in as well.
    
    Michelle

    My two were only 5 weeks old when brought home, so they would
    "nurse" on my neutered male, Casey! (:
    
    L-

    This happened Wednesday night.  I have to admit NOW it's funny.  I
    wasn't amused then.
    
    Wednesday was a very long and very hectic day.  I had to break up quite
    a few kitty fights.  Adelaide was in bully mode.  Great just what I
    need after an exhausting day.  About Midnight I finally decided to call
    it quits and go to bed.  Okay turn off the lights, move the phone,
    chase all furballs out of the bedroom.  Adelaide promptly starts a
    fight with Misha who's bolting for the sofa.  Break up the fight,
    Adelaide starts one with Alpo who let's her have it.  Finally get the
    furballs quiet.  It's now 12:30, okay mom gets changed oooooo that
    bed's going to feel good.  Fluff up the pillow, set the alarm, I can't
    wait to crash.  Throw back the covers slide into bed
    ........AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!  One of the little darlings
    (who shall remain nameless) had peed under my comfortor the whole
    bottom quarter of my bed was soaked!  Swear profusely I am not doing
    laundry at 12:30 at night.  Grab my pillow vowing that any furball met
    on the way to couch would meet an untimely demise.  Walk into the
    livingroom and amazing not a furball in sight.  Smart kitties.  :^)
    
    I spent the night on the sofa, of course all was forgiven in the
    morning when I woke up and found three furballs on top of me and the
    4th one under the sofa.  sigh  It's hard to stay mad at them.  Needless
    to say I was doing laundry last night.  Thank god for a waterproof pad
    on the bed.  Otherwise that mattress would have been history!  We are
    talking the mother of all pee puddles.
    
    The good lord has a really warped sense of humor sometimes.  :^)  I
    swear the only reason cats are so cute is so we don't kill them when
    they pull something like this.
    
    Kim  (Morticia, Alpo, Adelaide, and Misha)
    
    P.S.  I would never hurt one of my furbies for anything however the
    temptation Wednesday night was certainly there.

    I hear ya, Kim!  Having just separated from my husband, the kitties
    have really been running rampant in their new apartment.  Taja thinks
    the stairs leading to the loft -- the steep, open stairs -- are one big
    cat tree!!  He goes nuts on them, hanging, swinging, and yes,
    scratching.  There goes my security deposit!  They all run around at
    4:00 in the morning like they are practicing for the olympics, and
    every once in awhile I hear Kelsey throwing a hissy fit because Taja
    and Herbie have decided to gang up on him.
    
    I often wonder if they are trying to prevent me from ever dating again! 
    It would take a very patient, understanding man to put up with them so
    early in the morning.
    
    :^)  Or is it:
    
    :^(
    
    
    -Roberta
    

    
    	Yesterday and today Chloe (big fluffy Himmie) decided to 
    	squish herself under my dresser!  The first time I had someone
    	lift it for me, the second time I was peeved so I just reached
    	under and shimmied her out......with her chirping and purring
    	the whole time!
    
    	Crazy cat!
    

Well, it must be the phase of the moon.  My little Beth used to squeeze 
herself under the sofa to retrieve her mousies.  I came home from work on
Friday to see this little tortie tail sticking out from under the sofa, but
my poor baby kitten was trapped.  She was screaming her head off for me.
I lifted the sofa, and she scampered out, unhurt.  An hour later, she was
trying to get herself under the sofa again........

Maybe her brain got squished out.....

Mary

    
    	I think Chloe's got squished out too.....she's gotten back
    	under the dresser 3 more times!  =)
    
    	

    Makes me wonder what's under the sofa and dresser....
    

MOUSIES!!!


Beth likes to bat them under there--wasn't a problem when she was tiny tiny,
but she's a whopping 6 lbs now and she has to try real hard to fit....

The sofa is now propped up on one side to make it easier for her.....

Mary

    Gee in my house it would be the dustball that ate Manhatten.  :^)
    
    My personal favorite - I bought Alpo a collar with a bell on it so I
    could hear when he was around my feet.  I thought he'd be happy to stop
    getting kicked so much.  BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO he has to get even.  2 am Mom
    is sleeping, mom has bedroom door closed.  Alpo does a drum solo on
    the door that would have made Motley Crue proud.  (hey we have to make sure
    Mom is awake for step 2).  Next we proceed to race by the door stopping
    to scratch at offending collor.  All I can hear is jingle jingle
    jingle, jing jing jing jing jing jing, jingle jingle jingle.  I give
    up!
    
    Kim

    sofa and Beth -- no possibility she could jar it off the prop, I
    trust.....
    

Nope....what I did was take my Jane Fonda Step video bench, which is 4 inches
high, and put it under the sofa, between the two feet on one side of the sofa,
so they'd have to knock that thing about 18" away before anything went wrong.
I bounced around on it, and it was secure enough for me.  They'd have to
move the entire sofa two feet (and thru a wall) to dislodge it.

I'm a good Mommy....I don't want my babies to be hurt...

    Re:  I'm a good Mommy....I don't want my babies to be hurt...
    
    
    I know, beth is soooo special though that I fell into worry-wart
    mode.....
    

    Well, where Beth is concerned, I always fall into worry-wart mode.
    She is one special girl.
    
    Oh, I just happen to have a cute Beth story!  Last night, Beth
    was playing with this huge ball of yarn that she particularly likes
    (it's raw wool, so it probably smells like something she's interested
    in).  Anyway, she was rolling all around with the yarn and bumped into
    the wall.  She backed away, did the Dance of the Kitten Warrior and
    spent the next 5 minutes beating the crap out of the wall.  Boy, was
    she serious!  I don't know what she was thinking but that wall will
    never sneak up on her again!!
    
    Mary
    

    Over the time we were out, Alex was a complete handful.  Well, handful
    isn't exactly the correct word, but "hellion" isn't too nice.
    
    For the first week and a half (ish) after my time off, she would NOT
    let us sleep!  She would be fast asleep, or lying quietly, and behaving
    like a perfect little lady.  Then, the very second the lights went out
    and everything got quiet, she would start to howl and try to take the
    air conditioner out of the window!  Or she would start to try and claw
    the wallpaper (which, thankfully, is very flat and plain, nothing for
    claws to sink into)!
    
    We tried the waterbottle...nuthin.  We tried putting things around the
    a/c...nuthin.  We tried moving her "step" up to the a/c...nuthin.  We
    actually tried yelling and swatting her bottom with a bit of newspaper
    (we REALLY didn't want to resort to this, as we think that she has a
    hip problem - she STILL won't really jump unless she reeeeeeeally has
    to)...that seemed only to make her more determined.
    
    We would be up 'til 2, 3, sometimes 4 in the morning trying to remedy
    this.  We figured she didn't like the quiet, so we turned on a stereo. 
    We tried leaving her a night light.  We always made sure that her food,
    water and box were fine.  STILL nuthin'.
    
    Finally we found the solution...she was jealous!  _I_ was home, taking
    her daddy's attention away from her!  So, Leigh would spend an hour or
    2 just playing with her, and we would let her sit out on our screened
    in porch.  We introduced her to slot cars (she LOVES to chase them!)
    and supplemented her Micro Machine collection.
    
    THAT WORKED!  She hasn't kept us up one night since!
    
    (Special thanx to Kim for helping us figure out the problem, and for
    the track.)
    
    K.C.

    RE: .214
    
    Bahahaha!!  I love it!!!  That's one NASTY wall! (-:
    
    Holly
    
    p.s.  REad my personal name.  Can you guess where Kyra went last
    weekend???  YAY!!!
    
    

Sounds like she went to the Bahama Beach Club and found some cool cat to
go home with!!!!

Congrats!  More TBKs......

Mary

    Here's one about Misha.  He always comes down to greet us when we come
    home, no matter what time of day.  (He might be slower, if it's during
    naptime.)  However, Bob made the mistake of telling him Monday morning,
    when we were going to work, that he would be back in a while to take
    him to the vet's (for a hopefully "well-baby" check).  Bob came home
    and Misha ran away from him and hid under the bed.  Misha never hid
    under the bed.  Bob finally got a toy to go fishing for cat.  He
    caught one - Marnie. (who loves to hide and sleep under the bed). 
    Finally he got Misha out.  Curiosity, you know.  
    
    Misha had a good exam.  The internist pronounced him cured!!! We'll
    take him in every 6 -8 weeks for a weigh-in.  The vet assistant has
    fallen in love with Birmans and wants one.  Everyone there makes a big
    fuss over him and he loves it.
    
    I told Bob that the kids understand better then we think they do, so we
    have to be careful what we tell them. ;-)
    
    Steffi

	Great news about Misha, Steffi - keep up the good work! :^}

    This isn't something the cat did, but something the hubby did that's
    cat related.
    
    Yesterday afternoon we came home from work and then left right away to
    go to a movie and dinner.  When we came home at 10:00pm, Bob said, "We
    forgot to tell the kids (read cats) that we would be out late.  I hope
    they're not worrying about us." (Said seriously and with concern.)  He
    is just so sweet and so crazy about the cats.  I just had to share that
    with you.
    
    Steffi + 4

    Steffi...he's my kind of guy!!!!!!   Hopefully the kids weren't
    too mad at you when you got home!!!
    
    
    Sandy

>    Steffi...he's my kind of guy!!!!!!   Hopefully the kids weren't
>    too mad at you when you got home!!!
    
    
what is even more impressive....Bob is such a nice guy that he even passes
with Missy Hana - and she is sooooo picky about the men she will even
tolerate in the same room with her.  You should see her with Bob - she
talks to him and rubs up against him and just generally makes a silly fool
of herself.  She really has a crush on this guy.  Any man that can please
this cat is A-OK with the wild house gang.

			D

    
    	Hmmm... I had two weird dreams last night... In the first
    	one, Squeeky ("she looks like a pillow with legs" according
    	to the vet tech) gave birth to twin baby horses! Ah-ha! THAT
    	explains the huge belly! :) :)
    
    	In the second one, I was at Disney World, alone, because my
    	friend had gotten very sick and gone home. Suddenly, my throat
    	became horribly hot and constricted, to the point that I could
    	NOT gasp any air in (felt real, too!). I was desperately trying
    	to get passers-by to get me an ambulance, but they all spoke
    	GERMAN and couldn't understand me! Just as I thought I was going
    	to suffocate to death, I woke myself up...
    
    
    	....to find Sara draped across my neck!!! All 11 lbs of her!
    	No wonder I couldn't breathe! :)
    
    	Sherry
    

    Well, Kim, Leigh and I had all decided last night...
    
    and my household is fuller by one.
    
    We took Christina Mae home late last night, and I must say, neither
    Rico nor Alex were amused.  Lots of hissing.  Alex did "Not-The-Mama"
    on Tina's head (no claws, thank goodness!).  Lots of howling.
    
    Rico will touch noses with Tina (followed by a loud hiss and a hack or
    2).
    
    I'm the nervous mommy all over again (just ask Kim).  So far, so good,
    but we're still waiting and seeing.  We're TRYING to give Rico and Alex
    extra hugs and pats (Alex will only allow it if Tina is completely out
    of sight).  Looks like our slot-car track is going to get a lot of use
    (It is now Alex's favorite toy).
    
    K.C., Leigh, Rico, Alex, Tina.

re: -1

be patient - it sounds like you are off to a good start.  The kitten will
not be traumatized in the least by the behavior of the two adults - and
the adults will adjust pretty quickly to the kitten, once they've shown her
she is not the top cat.  They will, of course, behave in a terrible manner
when you are around - how else to convince you to remove the "carpet rodent"
you've had the nerve to bring into their domain???  But, don't give in and
it will be  just fine.

    RE:  "Carpet Rodent"
    
    Is that the same as a rug rat?  I HAD to ask.  :^)
    
    Tina is a love and I'm sure Alex and Rico will adjust just fine
    otherwise I wouldn't have let her go.
    
    Hang in there, the next few weeks will be interesting!
    
    Kim

    Re: not the Mama
    
    Ah, another dinosaur fan....
    

re: carpet rodent

but of course, the small rug rat....is a carpet rodent.    

    "Carpet Rodent"...gotta love it!  :^)
    
    Re: "Not-The-Mama"...you guessed it; I never miss an episode!  But I
    couldn't think of a better way to describe the way Alex was hitting
    Tina.
    
    Things are moving faster than I have anticipated!  Alex is still giving
    Tina "Not-The-Mama", but also actually LICKED Tina a few times!  Rico
    is completely reconciled with the new addition, and Tina follows him
    around like a (if you will forgive the saying) puppy.
    
    Tina is eating, and "using the box" (although when she decided to try
    going on the paper next to the box, Alex was there, and...NOT-THE-MAMA!
    Tina also "killed" her first fluttering scrap of paper this morning.
    
    K.C.

    Okay NOW I've seen everything!
    
    Last night I can hear Adelaide by boyfriend's blue/white persian crying
    in the kitchen.  I go in to see what the matter is and she's got her
    buns parked on the kitchen floor and is dragging herself across the
    floor.  Great!  Here we go with having to fight to get the doo-doo
    (very technical term there) off her rearend.  Well all of sudden she
    stands up and low and behold there's no doo-doo stuck to her behind.
    Instead there is a HUGE silver disc with the word QUICK plastered to
    her rearend.  She had sat on the protective sticker I had taken off the
    new can of strawberry quick I had just bought.  I nearly died laughing.
    
    hmmmmm I wonder if she was advertising for all the boy kitties.  :^)
    
    Kim

    Well, the way she lays down, that shameless hussy...  ;^)
    
    BTW, Tina has discovered the wonderful world of television.  Leigh was
    watching "Geraldo" on channel 5, left the room for "just a sec" to get
    some coffee, and when he got back to the living room, Tina was sitting
    on the remote control, watching "Reading Rainbow" on channel 11!
    
    K.C.

    Does everyone remember the big fire 10 months ago in
    Oakland, CA?
    
    Well, A cat missing for the past 10 months came home yesterday!!!!
    
    "Misha" was a little thin and raggedy about the ears, but otherwise
    glad to be home!!!

    Yeah, Misha!
    

    I brought a box of stuff home today and of course everyone had to check
    it out.  I was sitting on the floor, trying to decide where to put all
    this stuff when I happened to look up and there was Cleo, sitting in
    the box and I all could see were her eyes and ears, STARING at me.  She
    then jumped out of the box raced around the house and then came right
    up to me and meowed right in my face.  
    
    Well, it was funny at the time.
    
    Karen

         A funny one while camping over the weekend with my wife, 3 kids, and 
    Ivan our orphaned 5 weekold kitten. I was up at 5:30 feeding the hungry
    little fuzzface. He wolf down a little KMR and we started to play. He 
    was on his back wrestling with my hand. I heard him burp after which he
    starts sucking on my hand. I grab the bottle and started to feed him
    again. He's still lying flat on his back mind you. I suddenly realized
    that he'd positioned his front paws in such a manner that he was
    actually holding his bottle. Sure enough I let go and he layed there
    for a full 5 minutes :-))))) I lauged so hard that I woke everyone up.
    I'm hoping for a repeat performance soon so I can take a piture of it..
    
          Bob

Oh, ya, sure Bob......and you blame your wife for wanting to keep him.......

I remember those days, bottle feeding Beth.  But then, I also remember 
rubbing her tummy to make her go potty-----all over my hand.....

He sounds so cute!!  Maybe we can get pictures of him for with his bottle
for the newsletter???

Mary

	Spike made us laugh last night.  I had gone out on the deck for
	something, and the cats were watching me as usual.  I opened the
	screen door to get back in the house, and stopped to talk to Andy.
	Spike's never been outside, so he didn't realize his apparent
	opportunity.  He stood on his hind legs and reached out with his
	front paws to lean on the screen, which of course, wasn't there.
	He fell forward, scared himself, and ran into the house to hide.
	He was so miffed we had to tell him that we weren't laughing *at*
	him, but *with* him :^}

the picture is:

Dilly and The Jersey Flash are busy removing all their toys from the 
bizi-box (box with odd shaped holes in the top through which toys may be
removed or inserted - the girls do both alot)....my friend, Robino, comes
to play with the cats.  He sits down with the cats and just as he bends over
to put a toy back in the bizi-box, Dilly hooks a soft bag of catnip with
her front claw and pulls it out - and, I know she didn't intend this, but..
she flings the sack of catnip right in Robino's face - WHAP! it hit him
in the nose.  I'm SURE she just had the sack hooked on her claw and shook
too hard to get it off...but, I almost hurt myself laughing - and poor
John was laid out with laughter - I was afraid I was going to have to
have the ambulance come and get him.  Dilly just sat there and looked
her normal, adorable self, wondering what all the hoopla was about.

Missy Hana ran in, talking all the while, chiding us humans for such 
silly behavior - and that set poor John off again.  I don't know if he
will ever totally recover.  

Oh my, we humans enjoy the bizi-box more than the girls...well, almost
as much, anyway.

    I made a busy-box for my boys out of two printer-paper box lids, but I
    made the holes a little too big - it's very easy for them to get the
    toys out.  But they have loads of fun even when the box is empty.
    
    The other day, I heard a noise like one of them was playing with the
    box, but when I turned to look - no cat.  Hmmmm....  Then I saw a tail
    flip up and the other cat pounced on the box.  Turns out that Lasher
    (the bigger of the two boys) was completely inside the box!  I knew
    they had enlarged some of the holes, but I didn't know the holes were
    big enough for them to get through.  :^)
    
    --Michelle

    I just changed to Black Denim After Shave. As Smokey came to me after
    shave, she began to lick my face. I stood up, but don't think she let
    go! She jumped on my shoulder and went on licking! I think I even have
    to hide the bottle, for I had to effectively wipe her down as I wanted
    to go... after minutes she licked her lips yet, and as I came back the
    afternoon, she immediately jumped on my shoulder and began to lick. As
    she noticed the scent was away, she jumped off and looked at me with
    that "hey_master_you_smelled_better_the_morning" face...
    
    Nat

    
    	Nat, my cat Sara loooooves certain smells - mainly things
    	like ajax, tilex, comet - anything that contains bleach! If
    	I have it on my hands she will literally LATCH ON to my hand
    	and dig her claws in if I try to pull away, all the while 
    	licking and chewing at my hand. It's very funny to see her go
    	nuts over it, I'll usually find her in the bathroom rolling
    	around in the tub after I've cleaned it. She also likes other
    	smells, but none as much as bleach! 
    
    	Sherry
    

    Last night I was attacked by seven of my cats.....
    
    We had a shelter craft meeting last night and our objective was
    to "cut-up" all the fresh grown catnip we grew this summer.  Well
    after spending hours working with catnip...you can just imagine
    what I looked like and how I smelled to the furfaces.
    
    I came home and sat on the floor and was literally attacked from
    all ends.   First they started sniffing, then lapping...and then
    the attack came on....they started biting me...scratching me...and
    then they went at each other.  I just slid out of my clothes...and
    left them on the floor for the night!!!  
    
    The kitties will admit that the shetlers fresh grown catnip is the best
    they ever had!!
    
    Sandy (who has cuts all over her arms)

    Sandy,
    
     So, did you actually slide out of your clothes in front of the "whole
    males"? ;-) 
    
     Sorry, couldn't resist! ;-)
    
    Love,
    
     Y

    I can't believe you beat Cheryl to the punch...(she must be slowing 
    down a bit!!)
    
    Well...I have no whole males in the house...well I take that back
    my hubby is still whole and he was watching!! (snicker snicker!!)
    
    You guys are too much...and I thought I had a dirty mind!!!
    
    Sandy

    Sandy, don't be so quick to assume Yonee beat me.  How do you know she
    wasn't instigated by someone like me?  :^)

    Whole voyeur males aside; seriously - congratulations on the fact that
    you were able to successfully grow catnip!  That is one perennial I've
    given up on due to Lea and her natural instinct to attack the plant and
    rip it out of the soil as soon as it's planted.  (I know I can grow it
    from seed but I'm the type of gardener that enjoys faster results,
    besides, I always kill seedlings or the cats squish them)

    Oh...so now your ganging up on me!!!!  Just remember it will take
    me awhile...but I do get even!!
    
    Actually I can't take any credit for growing the catnip.  Priscilla's
    husband Ed has this beautiful huge garden...that makes me sick.  I
    think my garden is nice...until I look at his!!  He is the one that 
    grew all the Catnip!!!  You should see is flower garden, vegtable 
    garden and herb garden...it is truly unbelievable!!!
    
    I asked him the same question...with so many cat around their house...
    how come he can grow it.  The answer was he grew so much.....they got
    tired of it and left it alone!!  It is very strong stuff...smells
    very minty!!  Next year he said he would start a few plants for me....
    so I can try planting it again.  
    
    Sandy
                                     

    
    Sandy, Yonee and Cheryl,
    
    I can't get a bed of catnip growing to save my life.  As soon as the
    plant looks promising, as soon as it gets 12 inches high and bushy, a
    cat comes along and "TIMMMMMBBBBBEERRRRR!"   --- right off at the base
    of the stem.  (sigh)
    
    Nan

Last night, I went grocery shopping (a major event at my house---especially
with the 10 bags of cat litter....).  Anyway, I picked up a new package of
Hartz Bizzy Balls for Biff and they had a bag of catnip from some place in
Maine, so I thought I'd give that a try.  I got the groceries in the house
and was concentrating on putting away all the frozen foods and refridgerated
foods when I heard a racket coming from the hallway.  There was Beth, head first
in a bag of groceries, clawing and scratching at something.  I had forgotten
all about the catnip, but my little blind kitten found it underneath tons
of other things like dish soap, Airwick, and who knows what else.  She had
actually torn thru the plastic bag it came in and was busy trying to get
it out.  Fortunately, the catnip is sewn into a bag so she couldn't rip that
apart, but last night, she had swatted it under my bed and all I heard all
night was Beth's head boinging on the bed frame as she played with her new
toy...

Mary

    Where do you get catnip seeds?
    
    I'd like to grow some next spring........

    Lynne...I believe you can normally find them in
    any store that sells vegtable/flower seeds!!
    
    We left some of the catnip plants in the ground
    so they will re-seed themselves for next year!
    If you can't find them......I'm sure I can get
    you some!!  Good stuff too...just ask my kitties
    or look at my arms.
    
    Sandy
    

    Mary,
    
     I just love it when you put in Beth stories! I can just picture her
    digging in to get 'her' new toy! I've got tears in my eyes from
    laughing so hard! Everyone in my group tbhinks I'm abotu 3 quarts short
    of a gallon!
    
     Keep them coming! You just brightened up a very dreary day for me!
    
    Love,
     Yonee

    Last night, my husband, daughter Heather, and I were sitting at the
    kitchen table. I heard a noise coming from the family room that sounded
    like Poppy playing with a jingle ball toy. My daughter stuck her head
    into the family room, came back and said, "That's so nice that you
    bought Poppy a new toy mousie that squeaks."
    
    I said, "No, I didn't," and went to look. Poppy was sitting next to
    what I thought was her beloved catnip mousie, occasionally taking
    gentle swipes at it. I noticed the mousie had eyes and said, "Hmmm.
    Catnip mousie doesn't have any eyes." Then I noticed the mousie had a
    tail and thought, "Poppy bit off Catnip mousie's tail long ago." 
    
    So I went closer and sure enough, there was the tiniest mouse -- a real
    live one -- I've ever seen. It wasn't much bigger than a quarter. The
    Jaws of Death was there towering over it and occasionally nudging it. 
    
    As soon as I reached for Poppy, she pounced on the mousie, who
    immediately took off for the corner. I grabbed 13 pounds of whipping
    tail and flailing legs and got Poppy into the basement. My
    husband had sent Heather off to get something to trap the mousie in,
    and she came back with this huge plastic bucket. Well, the thought of
    trapping that poor little mousie in that huge bucket was too much for
    me, and I started to laugh hysterically. Meanwhile, the mousie had its
    head wedged between the wall and a cabinet, and its little tail was
    sticking out. Poppy was scratching away at the basement door, trying to
    get back to the action. I was laughing so hard I was no help at all. 
    
    My husband finally scooped mousie up into a soup can and put it
    outside. Poppy spent the rest of the night sitting next to where the
    mousie had been, looking puzzled. IN fact, she was back there this
    morning, trying to figure it all out.  
    
    It was better than TV!
    
    Kate
    
    
     
    
    
    

    Here's another cute Beth story.......I was busy cleaning the upstairs
    bathroom a few moments ago when I heard Beth preparing to use the
    litter box that's in the bathroom.  Now, remember that I personally
    taught my little girl how to use the box and, more importantly, how to
    bury.  She's learned very well.  Beth has this strange need to have one
    back paw up over the edge of the box (I call it "hanging five"...), but
    that meant that her little bottom was also over the edge.  Sure enough,
    plop, plop, plop...on the floor.  Instead of rushing right over, I
    waited to see what she'd do, after all, I hadn't washed the floor yet. 
    Without much delay, Beth realized what she had done and she spent the
    next few minutes dragging enough litter out of the box onto the floor
    to completely cover her, um, her doo-doo.  She was very proud of her
    accomplishment and she bounced out of the bathroom chirping away with
    her tail and head held high!
    
    Guess I'd better go scrub that floor (again)....
    
    Mary
    Mary

re;>>>         <<< Note 93.253 by DSSDEV::DSSDEV::TAMIR "DECforms Roadie" >>>
                        -< Warning:  Cute Beth story! >-

smart cat...very smart cat.  I think that she sounds wonderful!

    I wanted to get an early start this morning, having more work than
    usual to do here in the office lately.
    
    It was 8:00 a.m., and I was just getting ready to leave the house (the
    office is literally right across the street!), and in the living room
    was a nice present for me... on the carpet, on the window sill, and all
    over the screen!  Wow, was that ever fun to clean up!!  Nothing like
    starting the day right.
    
    Thank you, Taja, for making my morning.
    
    Love,
    Mom
    

    Nice mummy that I am, I took the "boys" out Monday and
    let them stroll around inside the fenced in garden.  They
    had a ball...chasing bugs, playing hide n seek among the
    tomatoes.  That is, until I bought them all back inside
    and later noticed B.K. scratching his face.  His face aound
    his eyes and ears were red and irritated, and somewhat swollen.
    Having not used any insectiside in the garden for months, I assume
    he had an allergic reaction to "something" in the garden.  After
    flushing his head area with cool water, and calling the vet, he
    started to get better....so much for being a nice mum! 

    The other day I bought new collars that had bells on them for my boys. 
    When they moved and heard the bells they just went crazy trying to
    figure out where the new toy was; they could hear it but they couldn't
    see it.  Lasher kept turning in circles like he was chasing his tail. 
    I finally had to remove the bells, because they just weren't going to
    give up trying to find where the jingling was coming from.
    
    This was really funny, although, maybe you had to be there.

    My Ebony is so smart and sweet.
    
    Ebony and Boo boo where out for their usual 1/2 hour of fresh air the
    other day.  I let them in and then proceeded to head for the door to 
    leave for work.  I heard some choking noises like one of them was going
    to get sick.  I looked around, under the bed, behind the couch but
    couldn't find who was getting sick.  Then I looked the the bathroom and
    there was Ebony, under the sink with her little front paws in the litter
    box.  She threw up some grass in the litter box and then covered it up.
    I was pleased (and surprised) espcially after hearing stories about 
    kitties getting sick "all over the house".  
    
    She got lots of praise and hugs.

    re .258 - Wow!  That cat is *much* smarter than mine are!  When either
    one of them eats something that disagrees with her, she goes someplace
    nice and comfortable to lay on while she gets sick - like MY BED.
    
    /Charlotte

    Hey, can I borrow her to teach Honey??  Honey goes straight for the
    very expensive wool rug....the one that doesn't match hairballs!!!
    
    You must be very proud!!
    
    Mary
    

    The boys were so funny last night.  I came home after getting my hair
    permed.  I was sitting at the table and Marnie jumped up on the table
    to say hi, and started to smell my hair and face so intently and for a
    long time.  Then Misha came up on the table and started to sniff me
    too.  Then he stood up on his hind legs and put his front paws on my
    head so he could smell it more.  Those soft little noses with the soft
    fur and the gentle breath feel so good.
    
    Steffi
    

    Tilly is on the sh*tlist this week.  First, a friend sent my husband
    and I a vase of roses for our wedding anniversary, and I saw Tilly go
    right up to the vase and knock it over on the table!!  So, I yell at
    Tilly to get, hobble into the kitchen for paper towels, pick up vase,
    and while I am sopping up water and muttering under my breath, she
    jumps onto the other end table and horks a hairball (+ an entire days
    meal) onto the stack of paid bills I had just set there.  So, I hobble
    off for more paper towels and the bottle of Nature's Miracle.
    
    The next morning, I lay my freshly ironed white blouse across a chair
    at the kitchen table while I iron my pants.  I have ten minutes before
    we leave for a cat show.  Tilly is sitting on the table about three
    feet away, and suddenly starts making that familiar "ghulph ghulph"
    noise.  Naaa, I think to myself, no problem, she is three feet away.
    
     				  WRONG!!!
    
    
    Projectile hairball comes flying at us like a Patriot Missile and lands
    smack in the middle of my white blouse!!  Let this be a lesson to us
    all...They know exactly what they are doing every minute of every day.
    
    
    Jo

>    Projectile hairball comes flying at us like a Patriot Missile and lands
>    smack in the middle of my white blouse!!  Let this be a lesson to us
>    all...They know exactly what they are doing every minute of every day.
    
    
Now, now....the experts say that a cat cannot act in a vengeful manner...
HA!  must not be cat owners, I say....

Hana has lost weight - she is a pound and 1/2 down...and she is STILL
trying to hork up one in my good shoes - the closet is permanently off
limits for that reason.

		But we love them...

RE: 262

I am truly sorry about your recent misfortune. However, I regret to
inform you that I cannot STOP LAUGHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


                                       Susan

	About a week ago, we did the nearly unforgivable thing of bringing
	home a puppy to live with our cats.  Jaco is a cat-size Pomeranian
	puppy, so we had more to fear for him than for the cats, but he
	found out quickly that cats are fun to chase, so they've given him
	wide berth.

	It hasn't taken the cats long, though, to find out that he's noisy
	but harmless, and yesterday, he actually got close enough to C.C.
	to get in a puppy-lick on her face.  I just wish that I'd had a
	camera of *any* kind to record the look of absolute disgust on that
	cat - it was priceless :^}

	Sandy

    Jo,
    
    I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.  But I am
    sorry about Tilly's misbehavor.
    
    Steffi

    Yesterday we bathed all 4 cats in preparation for Lisa's visit.  The
    first 3 were easy.  No whining, no struggling.  We saved the worst for
    last.  Misty, my chubby, darling loving kitty, who hates to be held and
    confined.  She yowled, she squirmed, she tried to push off on Bob's
    wrist, and left a wicked scratch, but we held on.  We did not want an
    11+ pound wet cat running through the house.  We finally got her rinsed
    and wrapped in a towel.  The blow drying part was the easiest.  When I
    let her go, we thought she would hightail it out of the kitchen.  BUT
    not my Misty, she went right over to the food bowl and chowed down. ;-) 
    I guess she follows the philosophy: when upset - eat.  She stayed away
    from me for a few hours, but then was back on my lap.  No hard
    feelings and no grudges. 
    
    Steffi

>    let her go, we thought she would hightail it out of the kitchen.  BUT
>    not my Misty, she went right over to the food bowl and chowed down. ;-) 
>    I guess she follows the philosophy: when upset - eat.  She stayed away
>    from me for a few hours, but then was back on my lap.  No hard
>    feelings and no grudges. 
    
Steffi,

ah yes...Missy Hana practices that philosophy too...only her version is:

	when upset - eat...when happy - eat...when tired - eat...when
	rested - eat...well, you get the idea.

Isn't it nice to have snuggly, sweet-smelling fluffs of fur running around
everywhere?

					D

    I've discovered the trick for bathing my babies with no hassles:
    
    	bathe them in an empty bathtub.
    
    Of course, you need the glass-doored kind so they can't escape.  But I 
    found that they are much calmer when I let them walk around in the tub
    and used a gallon container instead of the faucet to rinse them. 
    Lasher panicked once and huddled on the ledge, but I just left him
    alone while I refilled the container to rinse him and he was fine after
    that.
    
    Neither Lasher nor Nicky tried to get away from the (warm) water at
    all.  No flying claws or anything!
    
    Best,
    Michelle

    This morning when I got out of the shower I happened to notice that
    an almost full roll of toilet paper was completely empty.  Not even
    any tell-tale shreds were left hanging to the roll.  Carrie was laying
    on the bathroom floor under the roll.  When she got up I discovered
    where the every last sheet of tp had ended up...in a nice little pile
    on the bathroom floor just large enough to make a soft fluffy cat bed.
    
    I have no proof but two kitties whose names are Onyx and Carrie are 
    prime suspects in this little caper.  However, since Onyx generally
    chews the roll to shreds instead of unrolling it, most of the evidence
    is pointing to Carrie.   She has this little scratching thing she does
    on open doorways, bathroom walls etc. that is really wierd.  It's as
    if she is trying to dig herself out.  Well, I think she did this little
    motion on the roll effectively removing all tp into a pile which she
    then recycled into a bed.
    
    Jan

>    is pointing to Carrie.   She has this little scratching thing she does
>    on open doorways, bathroom walls etc. that is really wierd.  It's as
>    if she is trying to dig herself out.  Well, I think she did this little
>    motion on the roll effectively removing all tp into a pile which she
>    then recycled into a bed.
    
Jan,

the Flash can highly recommend a pile of fresh TP as a superior bed..she
does this all the time...usually just before I have company over - they
look so funny when they see the TP wadded up on the floor.  They probably
think it's a New Mexico thing, you know...

			<snicker>

			   D

    And, since I was born in Albuquerque, I guess I'm going to be
    perpetuating the New Mexico myth.  ;^)
    
    Jan

    This is not really something they did, but Jan's last note reminded me
    of a toy I have recently seen in stores and catalogs. It mounts on the
    wall, is covered with carpet, but looks remarkably like a TP holder!
    The cats are supposed to enjoy rolling it and scratching it I guess. I
    remember thinking, SURE, my cats (luckily) don't do the TP caper now, so
    why would I want to buy a toy that would TEACH them how to do it! ;-)
    
    Maybe this could be a deterrent if your cat already does this though?
    
    Yonee
    
    

I dunno. It might not have the same thrill unless it is surrounded
by porcelain fixtures...

Several years ago the spindle part of the dispenser disappeared and
some remark my husband made led me to think he had removed it in
the interest of economy (a lot of paper gets wasted (is this a pun?))
So when, a couple months ago I decided it was safe to reinstitute the
tp holder, I was vexed that my husband claimed he didn't do anything
with it. I finally found it when cleaning a room in another part of
the house!!!!


Maybe what kitties really want is the spindle part!!!!


                                     Susan

    I'm finding that my older kitties, Mufifn and Smamntha, are learning to
    compensate for Beethoven's deafness.  A few nights ago I watch as
    Muffin tried to remove Beethoven from the rocking chair (Muffin's
    favorite sleeping spot).  Beethoven was asleep in the chair and Muffin
    put his front paws on the seat of the chair and yowled and hissed at
    Beethoven for awhile (giving me little frustrated glances at
    intervals).  When he finally got fed up he started giving Beethoven
    little pushes on the butt until he finally woke up and moved.
    
    They learn fast!
    
    Nanci

    I'm on vacation today but I couldn't resist getting my notes fix
    before I leave for Santa Cruz.  I'm sitting in the kitchen with
    the old DECmate rigged up to the phone/plugs.  I don't have the
    right modem cable for my new PC.  I have the DECmate sitting on
    an old rolling tv stand so this is quite a set up.
    
    As I'm sitting her I happened to look down the hall and here comes
    Onyx with a full roll of toilet paper in his mouth.  I had taken it
    off the roller last night and set it on the towel bar cause I had
    Ariel and Molly in the bathroom last night.  Anyway, Onyx looks so
    funny.  Here he is this jet black cat carrying this big roll of 
    while toilet paper.  I promptly removed it from his mouth and put 
    it back in the bathroom while reminding him that toilet paper is
    not a cat toy.  However, he did point out to me that toilet paper
    does have the word "toi" in it which he claims translates to "toy"
    in cat language.  I stand corrected.  And all this time I thought
    toilet paper tranlated to "cat bed".  At least that is what Carrie
    has been telling me. ;^)
    
    Jan

    Well, you've GOT to hear the story of Kyra, my ferocious hunder, and
    what she did last night!
    
    We turned off the light at about 10:30 to go to sleep.  About fifteen
    minutes later, the light that is on top of my waterbed headboard nearly
    hit me on the head as it came crashing down.  Kyra was up on the
    headboard, knocking over everything up there.  I put the light back and
    turned it on to see what she was after.
    
    It turned out that there was a moth in our bedroom!  Kyra tried her
    hardest to try and get it!  At one time, she literally jumped UP the
    wall in order to try and catch thing thing!  Bob kept trying to get it,
    but couldn't catch it either!  We knew that Kyra wouldn't let us sleep
    until it was gone.
    
    Well, it landed on the wall over the dresser, I hit it, and it flew
    away.  None of us saw where it went, not even Kyra.  She kept looking
    in the same spot where if flew away from!
    
    Finally, we gave up looking for it and went back to bed.  Not 15
    minutes later, Kyra had FOUND the moth and proceeded to try and jump
    from the floor to the TOP of the door to try and get it. Well, she
    ALMOST made it.  All we hard was a lot of scratching and a "thump". 
    Then just as we turned on the light again, we heard lots of scratching
    again.  
    
    There was Kyra, hanging on to the top of the door with her front paws
    .. trying to get on top.  She ALMOST made it.  Bob grabbed her before
    she fell again (with kittens due in two weeks, I didn't want her to
    fall again).  Bob, Kyra, and I tried to get this moth for another
    fifteen minutes!!  I'd get it, and it'd fly away.  Bob would try to hit
    it with something, and it would fly away just before.
    
    We FINALLY got the stupid moth.  No, I didn't catch it and neither did
    Bob.  KYRA caught it of course!!  It flew over the tall dresser where
    we have a stereo speaker on top of it.  she jumped ONTO the dresser and
    then up onto the speaker and hit it with her paw.  It fell down onto
    the ground and she made a BEELINE down to grab it!!  She injured it,
    but it flew away.  It couldn't go very high, so it landed on the bed. 
    It was the FUNNIEST thing to see Kyra AND Bob trying to chase this
    stupid moth around the bed!  Kyra finally caught it and I put the
    covers overtop of it.  Bob then got it from under the covers and put it
    outside.
    
    Of course, Kyra looked for the moth for about 10 minutes after it was
    already gone!  Head twitching all over the place, digging under the
    covers, and looking ALL around the room!!
    
    And what time did we FINALLY GET TO GO TO BED??  OH, AROUND MIDNIGHT!! 
    YAWN!!
    
    Holly

    .262
    
    well at least your cat just knocked the roses over....my boyfriend
    bought me a dozen long stemmed roses to replace some flowers we had in
    a vase and had put them on the diningroom table in the same vase.  By
    the time I got home, one of my cats (I have three) had chewed each and
    every one of the stems about 6 inches down exactly and the roses were
    flown all over the floor.  This has happened twice to me.  I came home
    and didn't even know he had gotten me new flowers.  I thought they were
    the old one that the cats had wrecked...no big deal, right??  WRONG!!!
    I chucked them out.  boy was he angry.....and those darn cats!  I
    wanted to......
    
    michele
    
    he was so upset....I 

    Last night, Bob and I watched as Lizette stretched up to reach the top
    of the cabinet door under the kitchen sink.  She walked backwards on
    her hind legs pulling the door open with her front legs.  We expected
    her to go inside so imagine our surprise when she jumped up on the
    counter instead.  We just stared at each other in amazement wondering
    what that was all about.
    
    Steffi
    

    Lately Limoges has been picking on everyone again, mostly on Joui
    though. The other day I walked into the kitchen to find Limoges staring
    intently at the cabinet under the kitchen sink.  I busied myself doing
    things in the kitchen, and she just kept staring at the cabinet. 
    Finally, curiosity got the better of me and I had to open the cabinet
    to see what she would do.  Well, I opened the cabinet and there was
    Joui, huddled under the sink, sending me a strong telepathic message 
    "quick, shut the door you idiot before she sees me in here!!!!"
    
    I didn't have the heart to tell her that Limoges knew exactly where she
    was.
    
    Jo

    Well, we've had Red for about a week now.  Sadly, his master
    passed away last Friday, so he's probably a permanent addition.
    In order to go to the funeral, we called on the services of our
    "cat-sitter" (a friend whom we swap cat sitting with) to watch
    the crew.  We have
    
    1.) an "automatic" waterer (uses a empty coke bottle to hold water); 
        and
    2.) the original curious cat (Red)
    
    We got home last night and found a note from the cat-sitter, and
    a paper towel "cozy" on the two liter bottle for the water. Seems
    someone connected the neat bubbles that go "glug-glug" in the bottle 
    as it refills with a lower water level in the dish.......  
    
    ......and scooped two liters of water into the kitchen with his paw
    **three times** while we were gone.  
    
    She was kind, she called him "energetic". We used other words...... :-)
    
    Mary-Michael, Mips, Belle and Red

    I laugh, but not at you--with you!  I also have an automatic water
    that holds a liter of water.  Tiny baby Beth, the cat from hell, likes
    to put her toys in the water and then swat them all over.  When she
    hears the glug-glug, being blind, she explores with her paw until it
    glug-glugs again....and again....and again.  I wondered how the bottle
    got so empty so quick till I saw how wet the carpet was.
    
    Energetic, eh?  Ingenious!
    
    Mary

    My rex Smeadge is forever emptying our two liter water jug in the dish
    thing!  He sits there and just plays for hours until the water is
    running across the kitchen floor and under the fridge.  I wonder if he
    would like a bath in the tub!?
    Karen

Biff loves to play fetch with those balls with the bells from Hartz.  He
brings one over to me, drops in and then insists that we play fetch.  No
problem.....

Last night, about 3:00, a panic-y Biff jumps on my bed and begins acting
weird.  He jumps on the bed, off the bed, runs to the door, runs back, jumps
on the bed, then off, till I finally got up to see what was so terribly
wrong.  He seems quite perturbed.  I get down stairs and he runs, gets the
stupid ball, runs back to me, drops the ball at my naked feet and expects
me to play.  Beth is now joining in, leaping in the air at nothing waiting
for me to throw the ball so she can try to get it before Biff.  Can you
believe these guys????  I hollered at them and went back to bed.  I woke
up at 6:30 with Biff lying beside me, the ball clutched in his paws......

Cats.....

    I finally gave up and bought the furballs their own rabbits foot,
    because they kept stealing the keychain foot from my pocketbook.
    
    Nothing worse then hopping in the car, only to realize your carkeys
    are "somewhere" in the house in the clutches of a sneaky furball!
    
    L

    Last night, I needed to take my mother's cats to my house because her
    house is being exterminated.
    
    Here's the story about HOW she found out that she needed an
    exterminator.
    
    My mother moved into a house just over a week ago.  It's in
    Westminster, WAY back in the woods. (closest neighbor is about 1/2 mile
    away).  She has five cats with her.  Sweetie, PIMA, and the three old
    Korats that we adopted 2 years ago (Honey (17), Marni (16), and
    Lila(12)).
    
    Well, it seems as if there were some "resident" field mice in the house 
    when mom moved in, and they refused to leave.  Stupid mice!!  Someone
    with 5 cats moved in and THEY'RE brave enough not to leave!!
    
    Since she moved in last friday, my mother has found 3 dead mice.  She
    has found them first thing in the morning, always under the dining room
    table. 
    
    She figured that it was probably Sweetie or PIMA who killed them. 
    Until she noticed Marni playing with something.  This mouse scooted
    across the floor and MARNI, the 16 year old Korat, went running after
    it!!  Mother went running after her, but Marni had already gotten it
    and ran into a corner where mom couldn't find her.  A few minutes
    later, mom saw Marni walking quite proudly into the kitchen, dead mouse
    in mouth!!  Ugh!!
    
    Marni just decided that it was time she earned her keep! (-:
    
    Holly
    

    This happened a couple of days ago...
    
    Rusty, my 4 1/2 month old orange kitty, was showing a great deal of 
    interest in the puddle of water we humans called "bath".  He had been
    jumping up to the rim and trying to lap up the water for about a
    week.  He would also jump into the bathtub after we drained the water
    to lap up the excess.
    
    Anyway, the other day we just drawn the bath water, and Rusty shown up,
    jumped up to the rim again, as usual.  He gingerly put his tiny paws
    down and 'walked' the edge.  Well, except this time gravity got him,
    and he fell right into the bathtub!  He frantically tried to claw
    his way up the slippery surface, and bolted from the bathroom, leaving
    puddles everywhere.  I finally caught up with him and toweled him off.
    Luckily he was none the worse for wear (except for his ego!). 
    However, my hubbie got a pretty good splash, as he was close by,
    observing Rusty's balancing act.
    
    I hope he's not going to be afraid of baths now... 
    
    -Stella
    
                       

Well, a few days ago, my "Great Red Hunter" brought a "prize" into 
the bedroom at about 5:00 AM.  Singing, he brought it in and laid it
next to the bed. He was so proud.  And I, half asleep, looked at it
as it lay there slightly oozing from it's puncture wounds.  I am 
happy to say that the Cochrane house is now free from the scourge of......


.....................Colgate toothpaste.

Ya gotta love this cat.

    
    	re: .288
    
    	wahahahahahahahahaaaaaa!
    

    Re: .288
    
    
    ha ha ha ha ha.  This reminds me of the time Pussycat saved the house
    from an invasion of marshmallows.  Their punctured little bodies were
    spread all over the kitchen the next morning.
    

    Two nights ago Jimmy and I were sitting on the couch when...
    I saw this oozing goo on the couch.  At first I thought someone had
    been hurt.  Well, I was right! The brand new tube of Nutrical had
    suffered deadly damage!!! I MUST remember to put the tube back in the
    box, or else!  (thank God I had a sheet on the couch to keep hairs off
    it, little did I know it would save it all together!)
    Karen
    

    I have a new stray on my patio (remember I mentioned Ol Yeller, well
    his new name is Dusty).  Onyx hates this guy.  He keeps charging the 
    screen door with he's out there.  I've been really careful about 
    putting my foot or body in the way when I go in and out of the screen
    door so that Onyx can't charge out the door but recently he's gotten
    more forceful.  Scared the bejeebers out of me the other day when I
    went out to feed Dusty.  He charged as I opened the door, I screamed,
    the door rattled, everybody jumped and I came in with splatters of
    turkey and giblets all over my white Minnie Mouse sweatshirt.
    
    Anyway, to get to the point of this story.  Last night as I was taking
    out the trash and trying very hard to keep my body blocking the door
    as I slipped the trash bags through, Onyx charged and got outside.
    There was major noise as Onyx attacked Dusty.  I don't know what 
    possessed me to try to come between them but somehow I got them to 
    break for a second without getting scratched.  I grabbed Onyx and
    put him in kitty jail (the bathroom) and went out to check on Dusty.
    He was fine, no scratches or anything.  I checked him first cause I
    didn't know if he would stick around long enough to check later, he's
    very submissive to all the cats in the neighborhood so I thought he
    might run off.  I came back and checked on Onyx and he was fine,
    however, he left me a puddle on the bathroom floor as a present.
    
    I don't think they ever made contact.  I think I just had a kitty
    tornado swirling around on the patio for a few seconds.  Thank the
    great kitty god in heaven that Dusty did not decided to bolt from
    the patio because I'm sure Onyx would have followed him.
    
    You'll be seeing me in the adoption topic next.  I've got to find
    this guy a home very soon or I'll be answering to Onyx.
    
    Jan

    Jan , can you do an airlock number?  Keep onxy a room away when you have to
    do stuff like feed Dusty?
    

    My big cat Spike is so big he usually can only fit on things like the
    sofa, the bed, or a large chair.  He never attempts to sit on the
    kitchen chairs or jump up onto a counter, just too little room for him!
    My alarm clock went off yesterday morning, and I stumbled around the end
    of my bed in the dark.  As I passed my dresser, I heard a "chirrup" and
    a large, soft paw reached out and tagged my arm!  Scared the wits out
    of me!  Spike had jumped up onto the dresser, knocked my jewelry box
    over onto a folded blanket on the floor (that's why I didn't hear
    anything), and settled himself nicely atop the entire dresser!  At
    least he was kind enough to let me know he was awake: ) Now, if I can
    only find all of my earrings before he and Brutus decide to play
    floor-hockey with them...
    Sarah

    Re:  .293
    
    Yep, that's the new plan Karen.  Onyx goes in the bedroom when I have
    to do patio things.  I also rearranged stuff on the patio so that the
    visiting kitties are less visible when they're eating.  'Course after
    dinner is a problem.  Dusty likes to climb up on the fence in full
    view of all windows to clean up.  It's sort of a passive power play,
    he causes all kinds of anxiety to Onyx without having to deal with
    him directly.
    
    Jan

What Dandy did yesterday.
Got Dandy and Amber bathed yesterday - both were absolute angels too.  
Even when I had to rinse Amber several times to finally get all the soap 
out she was very good about it.  Of course, I had the heat turned up to 
so it would be nice and warm for them.

I did Dandy first and blow dried him, and then towel dried Amber when I 
bathed her.  I knew from my first experience with the dryer she'd only 
freak out if I tried that again.  Dandy was so cute.  He and Amber were 
on the couch finishing their grooming touches (I had a large bath towel 
on the couch for them to sit on) when Dandy came over to me on my chair. 
I felt his coat and under his tummy and thought it still felt dampish
(his coat is so plush).  I asked him, "Sweetie, do you want mommy to 
finish drying you with the dryer?" and he looked up at me and "meeped".
He relaxed on my lap while the warm air from the dryer waved through his 
fur and he purred with contentment. :^)  My little boy knows he can 
trust his mommy to make him feel better.

Something "Thai" did last night.  When I was in bathroom last night 
getting ready for bed, "Thai" came in and jumped up on the sink and 
started "talking" (he's got Siamese in him) and rubbing his head on the 
light switch.  Sure enough, out went the light and we were in total darkness.
I told him "Hey, turn that back on, Thai!" to which he replied with "Mneow", 
I think that means "No" cause we were still in darkness.  What a character.

Pat
Back_to_work_from_weekend_cat_follies
You Just Have To Love 'Em!

    Saturday, I scooped out their boxes.  I finished the first one when
    Lizette came in to see what I was doing.  She jumped into the clean box
    and proceeded to do her business.  It didn't bother her at all that I
    was sitting there, scoop in hand.  I guess she likes to christen the
    clean boxes.  (She's done that before).
    
    Steffi

    My cats like to wait until I am cleaning the boxes to go too.  However,
    I think it is more because they get praised for doing their business! 
    I am so afraid that one of them might decide to break litterbox some
    day that I got into the habit of praising them while they are going. 
    They got used to my cheerleading and accolades, and would much rather
    go with me there than without!
    
    -Roberta
    

    Mine don't even wait until I'm finished scooping!  The minute they hear
    those scraping sounds they're in the box pooping and peeing!  You know
    how gross it is to try to clean a box that's just been sogged!  I
    think it *is* because we praise them when they use the box.
    
    Something cute that Lasher did:
    
    Last Thursday, I got sidetracked cleaning out some boxes in the dining
    room, and never got around to sitting on the couch with my boys. 
    Lasher kept weaving around my feet and putting his front paws on my
    legs like he wanted to jump into my lap (which he never does!), but
    when I cleared a place, he would sit down and then walk away.  I
    finally figured out that he wanted me to go sit with him on the couch. 
    Boy, was he happy when I went in the living room and sat down!  He just
    couldn't keep still, purring and rubbing and even getting in my lap for
    a little while; he was soooo happy.  (He usually just lays beside me
    purring while I pet him.)  It was very cute.
    
    Michelle

    Kyra absolutely amazed me this weekend!
    
    Kyra is the type of cat that will disappear as soon as company comes to
    the house.  She'll usually get into a spot where "you can't see her,
    but she can see you". 
    
    Well, Saturday night my fiance's parents came for dinner.  (I'm no
    dummy!  We ordered Chinise food!!)  As usual, Kyra ran as soon as the
    arrived.
    
    Bob and his father left shortly afterward to go get the chinise food. 
    Bob's mother and I were sitting on the couch talking when all of the
    sudden I saw Kyra in the dining room.  She walked over to us, jumped up
    on the couch, walked ACROSS my lap, walked over to Bob's mother's lap,
    and proceeded to lay down on her lap!  
    
    I couldn't believe my eyes!!  Kyra doesn't go to ANYBODY!!  After we
    had dinner, we went back into the living room and Bob's mom kept trying
    to call Kyra again.  Well, she wouldn't go near her for a while (Kyra
    just felt that she had her fill of time with the "almighty princess
    Kyra") but she then jumped up on Bob's FATHER'S lap!!  Both Bob and I
    were absolutely amazed, and wondered who switched cats on us!
    
    Just goes to show you, cats are fickle!! (-:
    
    Holly
    

    I had just finished cleaning the litter box, and heard Spike meowing at
    the door.  He had been outside all day.  I let him in, he ran straight
    for the litter box, did what he needed to do, then asked to go back
    out.  Now if I could only get my human son to come into the house to
    use the bathroom... : )  I guess I can be pretty certan that Spike is
    NOT the one using my flower beds as a toilet!
    Sarah

    Since the house is undergoing "reconstructive surgery" this week, every
    room is in shambles.  Well, this morning, in walks Zelda (our shy black
    kitty) with a very green face!  Then Chubs comes up behind her with
    little pieces of pink fuzzies stuck on the sides of his whiskers and a
    few on his rear.  Both cats have white feet but today they were brown. 
    Chubs also had a cobweb hanging off his neck.  What a classic this
    morning was but drats, my camera was unreachable amongst the ruins!!!!

    Can't wait to see what they do today when we shut them in the bedroom
    with their litter box.  The hardwood floors are being coated and we
    can't walk on them for up to 20 hours.  We'll be climbing up to the
    bedroom and bathroom via a ladder.  Should make for an interesting
    evening.  :^)  I'm just amazed at how freaked these cats were when we
    rescued them and how laid back they are with all the renovations.  
    Deep inside they probably think - "oh wow, look what Bill and Cheryl
    are doing to our playground.  Now our toys will roll across the floors
    faster!!!!!"  :^)

Last night I was watching my favorite citcom, "Married With Children", when 
all of a sudden the timer on the stove went off.  I NEVER set that timer but 
somehow that little dickens, Amber, did something to the button and off it 
went.  She scooted off the stove pretty quick I tell ya. ;-)  Her other 
latest amusement is going into the bathtub, picking up the stopper for the 
tub in her teeth and dropping it from the tub rim into the wastebasket.  I 
think she likes to hear it go "plop".

Pat & Clan

    Last night I was sitting down watching television when all of
    a sudden the channel changed.  I couldn't imagine what had 
    caused it until I looked over and saw Red (aka "The Fur Toddler)
    with his paw on the remote.  Having Keith changing channels on me
    is bad enough!  Now I have to worry about the cat too!
    
    :-)
    
    Mary-Michael

    
    Last night I was alone in the living room watching tv in the dark
    when suddenly the outside porch light went on.  When I looked over
    towards the sliding glass door, there was my little Shelby sitting
    on the counter biting the light switch.  Now, if she'd only learn to
    turn it out . . .
    

	Since Andy's taken up stained glass as a hobby, we've had to keep
	Tas out of the cellar, since he's kind of a klutz.  Naturally, he's
	ticked off about this, and often asks to be let down, loudly.  Every
	so often, he gives up asking, and I can hear the doorknob rattling.
	Hope he never gets the hang of turning it :^}

    Ever come home from work only to hear "you'll never guess what xxxxxx
    did today!!!".  
    
    We have a ladder leaning against the side of the house so we can go on
    the second floor.  Lea took it upon herself to climb it all the way
    onto the roof and was crying at the window to be let in.  Scared some
    of the workers half to death this morning....  The cat has 93 lives!

Yesterday, while the rest of the household was quietly resting, Beth stalked
and killed her first wool blanket.  It was quite a struggle but she did it.
It seems that this blanket jumped out of the closet and began to attack Beth,
completely unprovoked.  But, in spite of her handicap, she fought back and
saved her life, and the life of the others in the house who could have been
maimed by the blanket.  Please don't laugh, this was no ordinary blanket...
this was a 100% wool queen size blanket that Mommy paid a fortune for and
just had cleaned......

It was quite a sight to see....I heard Beth screaming at the top of her lungs
and when I ran upstairs, there she was, all puffed out, beating up the
blanket.  She had it pinned down and just kept tearing at it.  When I reached
down to touch her, she knew she was safe, but just to make sure, she did
The Dance Of The Kitten Warrior all around it just in case.  I think it
may have fallen off the shelf and Beth did what her best blind cat instinct
told her to do---KILL!!!!!

Biff and Mikey do seem to enjoy their new bed........

Mary

    Mary,
    
     Thanks so much for the Beth story! I really needed that! I'm sitting
    here laughing like a goon, and my boss is giving me funny looks, but I
    don't care. I needed a good Beth story!
    
     Give her hugs from me and tell her what a good protector she is! I
    wish I could have seen that one, especially the dance of the kitty
    warrior!
    
    Love,
    
     Yonee
          

    Mary,
    
    I'm sorry, I couldn't help laughing.  Beth is too much. ;-)  And you
    have a wonderful sense of humor.  You have to send her story into CAt
    Fancy.  She's such a special cat.
    
    Steffi 

What I really need is a camcorder!!  I was laughing so hard at her, once
I realized that she was OK, that I was in tears.  I think that Beth had
been in Blue's room, and since she can't see another cat and can only smell
one, that perhaps she thought she was being attacked.  It was quite a wracket!
I've never seen her so upset!!  I also had no idea she could puff out that
big!  And her little dance is the funniest thing....this little 6 pound puff
ball pouncing up and down and sideways....quite a site!!

    
    We have been letting Nique in at night so she can sleep
    and relax where it's warm....I fell asleep on the couch,
    and woke up to a cat laying on my chest.  Absentmindedly
    stroking the cat, I didn't notice anything amiss until my
    hubby grinned at me and asked who I was patting.  I was
    shocked to see a black and white cat!!!  Seems
    my little girl likes to snuggle with mom, even though she
    knows she's supposed to stay on "her" blanket! (8 

    This seems to be the time of year for Unwarrented Attacks by Seemingly
    Inanimate Objects. My wobbly cat, The Honorable Colonel Sebastian
    Moran, DROFFC, saved the entire household from a Vicious and no doubt
    Subversive Bathtub Stopper. This is a beige rubber circle, about 4" in
    diameter and quite thin. It is used to cover the drain on the tub. It
    was used to cover the drain on the tub. Apparently it said something
    Rude and Unforgiveable to The Colonel, who beat it within an inch of
    its life and then Taught it a Lesson by stuffing it in the Hot Air Vent
    of the heater. It is now an oval, about 2" wide and 8" long. The
    Colonel has been battling it for some time, but has finally achieved
    the Final Victory. Fortunately, I have another one hidden. Unless that
    one doesn't behave and alerts the Colonel to its existance. 
    
    The Colonel salutes Beth in her victory over the Battling Blanket, and
    reminds her owner, respectfully, that Alien Beings do not necessarily
    look like humans and can pop up anywhere.
    
    Sari

We have a cat that really belongs next door - honest he does - he just isn't 
really sure about that.  Anyway, Zachary (said cat) has been coming over for
a snack during the days since summer when his owners moved to the beach and left
him to guard the city house (another topic - it just makes me boil how they
treat him!!!)  Zachary is a litter mate to my Bob and they have always been
pals.  

Well, Saturday evening Zachary came in for a snack and I forgot about him.  He
is such a gentleman that I really don't even notice when he is in or out.  At
any rate, he apparently got left in when I left to spend the night with friends
in Maine.   Sunday I did some wallpapering and finally arrived home around 1:00.
There was Zachary looking most indignant at having had to spend the night in
our house.

This morning, sure as the sun comes up, there sat Zachary waiting to come in for
his morning snack when I went to get the paper.  Well, he wasn't about to be
kept in again.  Every time my son or I moved toward a door, he made a beeline
for it.  It was so funny to watch him try to eat and keep an eye on us at the
same time.  Guess he isn't quite as "at home" as I thought!!  

Ellen (who reads this file loyally, just doesn't write very often lately)
Bob, Zelda, and Zachary the foster cat

    
    	You ladies are cracking me up.......  =)
    

	Jennifur heartily agrees with the Colonel about aliens assuming
	strange forms -- she looked out of the window today and found
	two VERY alien beings in the backyard.  They didn't even have 
	the common sense to notice her intense gaze (so what if they 
	were 50-100 feet away) or come in out of the snow!  

	According to Jennifur, Mom has obviously been brainwashed by the 
	beings and is convinced they are something called "llamas" and 
	are her new brothers.  Hah!


	Jan  who_can't_wait_to_introduce_the_cats_and_llamas

    Colonel Bob requested that I put the following in for him.  
    
    In recognition of two singularly outstanding examples of military
    bravery in the face of unrelenting enemies who cravenly strike without
    prior warning or declaring openly that a state of hostility exists, and
    in one instance, cowardly attacking a non belligerent (Beth), troops
    will be assembled to pass in review and render the appropriate honors
    first to Beth, and then to their very Distinguished colleague, Colonel
    sebastian Moran, DROFFC.
    
    Beth is commended for her total victory over the dreaded enemy, the
    cowardly Battling Blanket who strikes without prior warning and with
    such poltroonery, one without sight.  For this courageous victory in
    the face of incalculable odds, Beth hereby joins the very select
    company of feline heros who have been inducted into the ancient and
    prestigious Distinguished Royal Order of Feline First Class, with
    appropriate appurtenance, the extremely rarely given, Blanket Pendant. 
    And from this day hence Beth will be known as Beth, DROFFC.
    
    Tell Beth that if she listens carefully, she might even now hear the
    voice of the massed troops raised in the traditional cheer that follows
    an induction and formal review, HIP HIP MEOW, HIP HIP MEOW, HIP HIP
    MEOW.
    
    Once again our distinguished and illustrious comrade in arms, colonel
    Sebastian Moran, has comported himself in such a manner as to bring
    great credit upon himself, his family, his home, and his country, while
    once again striking a blow against the tyranny of those who plot
    against the unrestricted freedom of the feline class and those that
    they would protect, and who would attempt to enslave the world through
    the dastardly use of the Bathtub Stopper.  Colonel Moran, with his
    uncanny intelligence, and rare ability in uncovering conspiracies, has
    revealed to the world one of the gravest threats to the liberty of all
    felinus domesticatus.  His bravery in battling this slipperiest of
    foes, along with his remarkable foresight in changing its physical
    appearance so that it could no longer be a threat to peace loving
    felines and peoples everywhere, will live on in the annuals of this
    file for time everlasting.  For his outstanding act of military
    bravery, and contribution to the peace and sanctity of his home,
    Colonel Sebastian Moran, DROFFC, is hereby awarded an unheard of second
    appurtenance, The Bathtub Stopper Pendant.  And once again if he
    listens closely, he can hear the massed troops give the traditional
    cheer of HIP HIP MEOW, HIP HIP MEOW, HIP HIP MEOW.
    
    P.S. Col Bob sends his very best to Beth and his special diminutive
    comrade in arms, Col Sebastian Moran.
                                         

And from the Navy SEAL side of the house, a hearty HOO-YAH for Colonel
Sebastian Moran for setting such a high standard for Beth to aspire to!!
I'm sure she'll be very, very honoured!!!

I heard Beth was getting a Medal of Honor from the Wool Industry marketing
group.....

gasp!!!! Things are really heating up in this file.

    Careful, Steffi is a married lady!  :^)
    

    Wonder if Nat is a whole male?  Someone neuter him, quick!  :^)

    Better not!!  What would his wife say???  And some day, we're going to
    need some really good goulash!!!  Besides, Nat's a FOB!!!!
    
    Mary, who loves Steffi (and Colonel Bob) too!!
    

    My kids are holding my sewing machine hostage!  When I got home last
    night I made the usual rounds to be sure all is well and to enjoy the
    evening's kitty-hugs. Renegade and Offislander sleep in the room where
    I keep my sewing machine. ..now you have to understand that this is a
    very special sewing machine in a very special cabinet that I waited
    many years to purchase (how else was I going to make cat carrier covers
    and mini-horse blankets???).
    
    I knew the minute I entered the room that they had been extra playful.
    I could tell by the shredded roll of paper towels all over the floor,
    the Arubacat cat tree that was moved three feet closer to the window
    (and that's not a tiny tree) ..and the blanket that had been pulled
    onto the floor to make a bigger bed in the sunshine. Every toy they
    had was scattered around the room.
    
    It was such a mess that it took me awhile to notice the biggest
    problem. My sewing Machine has a lock on the front. When locked I
    can't open the front doors or any of the drawers. I suppose this is
    to keep things child safe and I have found it works pretty well to 
    keep things feline safe also. ..at least until now.  I keep the key
    in the lock ..since even my crafty Birmans have't figured out how
    to turn a key yet. ..or so I thought.  Harruuumph!!!   They managed
    to not only turn the key, ..but remove it entirely.
    
    I took the room apart and the key is nowhere to be found. The stinkers
    have hidden it somewhere and are holding the machine for ransom. I scolded
    them and gave them 'the third degree' ..and in return I got lots of
    purrs and innocent looks ..but no hints.
    
    I now have a lovely sewing machine that is locked up tight. ..though I
    admit it does make a lovely place for cats to rest in the sun...
    
    I can hardly wait to see what demands are in the ransom note!
    
    Linda  
                                                                   

    OOYYAAAEEEHH!
    
    Re.: 320-323, especially 322 (Urgh...)
    
    God in heaven Ladies, What did I do wrong???
    
    You must forgive me as you know English (and especially American) is
    NOT my mothertongue, so I can write things I mean in one way and others
    read it another... I just wanted to speak out that I find it great how
    Steffi put the story down and it is a platonic love for the literature
    genius, and not the (married!) woman... besides, I am married too. And
    if you would do THAT (Urgh...) my wife SURE does NOT cook you a
    goulash...
    
    
    And as for the title of this topic: Smokey turned the HIFI on this
    night (at about 3 o'clock in the night) and we felt off the bed with
    Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence" - and that with 4x180 Watts,
    as Lady Smokey walked through the rem control 'on' and 'maxvol'. So
    please let that neu... (Urgh...) be, I am shocked enough also
    without...

    Thank you Nat, for appreciating the note I put in.  I just did the
    typing, the credit for composition must go to Col Bob, honorary Feline
    member.  He is a marvelous writer.  
    
    Your English is is very good. The Feliners just like to tease. ;-)
    
    Steffi 
    
                  

I agree with Steffi....Nat, your English (and American!) is great!!

In my house, it's Biff who is electronically inclined.  He can turn on the
TV, use the phone, and play back messages on the phone recorder.  He's so
helpful.........My cat sitter didn't believe me when I said that Biff
would call people until she was at my house and Biff started calling some
one.  He gets very upset when you barricade the phone.  After all, suppose
he needs to reach out and touch someone........

Mary

    Barricade Biff from the phone???? Why ever would you do that? Afterall,
    how would he be able to contact THE FIRM whenthe urge to sue comes over
    him?
    
    Deb

    Hey, he can get his own AT&T card and pay the bill himself!!  I'm sure
    THE FIRM would understand......  If he really wants to place a call, he
    can just use one of the other phones in the house and learn how to do
    more than just the autodialer!!
    
    He's very clever, that Biffster....if he's not careful, THE FIRM will
    be handling his murder charges against Julie....she's already seeking
    a restraining order...
    

    Lizette and Misha were sitting on "pass through " counter above the
    sink (between the dining room and the kitchen).  Misha was grooming
    Lizette, who was obviously enjoying it.  Bob was watching intently,
    because Misha has a bad habit of grooming one of the cats, and all of a
    sudden bite their ear.  Enter Marnie.  (Whenever Marnie wants up on the
    counter by the sink, instead of leaping up from the floor to the
    counter, he runs into the dining room and jumps up on the credenza and
    then to the "pass through" counter.)  Marnie jumped the the counter in
    his usual manner, and found Misha and Lizette somewhat in his way. 
    Being Marnie, (cute and oblivious) he decided to squeeze between the
    wall and Misha.  In do so, he pushed Misha away from grooming Lizette. 
    Marnie walked over to the counter by the dish drain rack so he could
    watch whatever is going on.  Lizette stepped over to where Marnie was
    sitting and smacked him with her paw, (she was not pleased about having
    her grooming interrupted) Marnie looked startled, got up and moved
    behind the dish drain, with a look and his face like "What did I do to
    you?  Lizette went back to the "pass through", sat down, and Misha
    continued grooming her as if nothing had occurred.  Marnie looked at
    Bob, who looked at Lizette, and said "good girl", looked back at Marnie
    and broke up.
        

    
    
    	hahahahahahahahahaaaaa!  That's hysterical!  Thanks
    	for sharing that one!
    
    	JJ
    

    
    If I hadn't gotten an awful case of the itchies (poison oak/ivy/sumac?)
    out of this it would be more humorous but it truly amazed me. 
    
    My house is set quite a ways back from the street I live on and across
    the street the woods begin right at the side of the road.  My black and 
    white kitty Snoopy is a true outdoor monster and never gets into 
    trouble as he has that sixth kitty-sense that seems to warn him of 
    oncoming cars, the occasional skunk, etc.  My grey kitty Diesel is
    a complete "idiot" (said in a kind way) who sneaks out at every opportunity 
    and then wonders why people honk at him :-)  
    
    Yesterday I was standing in the driveway and Diesel was meowing 
    and meowing like something was wrong but he wouldn't let me near
    him and he kept heading for the street.  I've learned that trying
    to catch him can be dangerous as he thinks it's funny to make me 
    chase him across the street so I walked back toward the house keeping 
    one eye on him.  As soon as I turned my back he ran across the 
    street.  Usually when he does this, he just sits over there and 
    stares at me like I'm the fool and then when I get across the street
    to bring him back, he runs back on his own.  This time he just 
    kept meowing/crying so I went over to see if something was wrong. 
    He acted like he was playing tag and everytime I'd get close to him, 
    he'd run another 5-10 feet and cry again.  After a good 15 minutes of 
    zig-zagging through the puckerbrush, thorns, sappy pine trees, etc.
    (all mud underfoot as well - of course) we got to 
    the power lines (a good 1/4 mile from my house).  I was so aggravated
    with the kitty version of tag that I would have quit playing if I 
    didn't love him so much.  Lo and behold, I hear another kitty crying
    and there's Snoopy -- obviously lost and scared.  It was like something
    out of an episode of Lassie.  I can't believe that he had the 
    wherewithall to find Snoopy, come back for me and then lead me 
    back to Snoopy.  They never cease to amaze me.  
                                                    

    What a great story!  Just one question, though:  Why didn't Diesel just
    lead Snoopy home?
    
    Michelle

    Diesel went for help?  That's a wonderful story!!!
    
    Re 333
    
    Maybe Snoopy wouldn't follow?

    
    RE: 333
    
    I wondered the same thing.  All I can think is he was 
    	A.  tired
    	B.  caught on something (flea collar/rabies tag on a bush?)
    	C.  scared by the buzzing of the power lines (high-pitched)
    
    I'm a very proud Mommy however :-) :-)
    

    .332 and this all teaches us again and again:
    
    Always DO PAY ATTENTION if a cat seems to want something. (S)he knows
    what (s)he wants, only we plumpy humans do not always undeerstand.
    I love'em.
    
    Nat

you might have a point about the power lines. Cats are
much more senstive than we are and he may have been
disoriented or just stressed out by the interference.



                              Susan

    
    RE: 336
    
    More times than not, my kitties' "crying" has been for a good reason. 
    
    They can smell smoke more quickly than I can if I close the woodstove
    damper too far. 
    
    They know that although Mommy lets them play in the bathtub/sink, when
    the dishwasher overflows and floods the kitchen, something is wrong
    (although they were so wet, they must have played for a while before
    coming to get me) 
    
    They know that bees/hornets are bad (I'm allergic) although this is 
    probably more their instinct to "play" with the little-buzzing-flying
    thing than it is purr (pure) intelligence.
    
    They also know an amazing number of people things.  They stand on my 
    answering machine and listen for my voice on the tape when the phone
    rings.  They always appear out of the blue when I'm crying.  I swear
    they watch TV but ignore the commercials -- and they know without
    a doubt when they have a vet appointment although I can't figure out 
    how. 
    

    
    (Is it a sign of cat-codependence to reply to your own note in the 
    feline notes file) 
    
    In fact, I have to admit, they have more sense and compassion than 
    most, if not all of the men I've dated.  
    
    Sigh.  I suppose that will generate a flurry of replies . . 
    

    Re .339 - I have to ask, were those men cat lovers?  And I have to note
    that for most of my life, I have generally preferred the company of my
    cats to the company of almost any form of yoomin bean, with some
    important exceptions.
    
    len.
    

    
    I'd have to say that none (except one) was a real cat lover -- the 
    one exception loved them dearly but still didn't have the sixth sense
    the kitties do.  
    
    I had a kitty hit by a car (escaped out the basement window) and a 
    neighbor found him, offered to take care of the body if I wished
    and expressed his condolences graciously and kindly.  I was truly
    heartbroken and while crying was asked if I would get over this?  I 
    replied that "yes, it would take a few days to get over the shock and
    a long time (if ever) to forget Harry Truman but I'd be OK" --
    silly me had overestimated this person's compassion.  I actually said
    I'd be OK so they wouldn't worry about me . . . and he replied 
    
    	"I was thinking more like in the next 10 minutes or so"
    
    In general, the kitties have excellent taste in men - unfortunately, 
    it's probably better than mine :-)

From:	JULIET::DECPA::"51.10.dnet!daw@abb-sc.COM" "Dian Wilde - consultant"  3-DEC-1992 11:49:00.42
To:	jan@netcom.com
CC:	DAW@netcom.com
Subj:	a cute Missy Hana story...

to share with the feliners....

Over thanksgiving, all our guests brought their pets (no kids, just dogs
and cats), so the house was full of 5 cats and 2 dogs as well as all the
humans...a very busy place.  Missy Hana started coming into the kitchen
to talk to me while I was cooking.  She would run into the kitchen and
warble her "mom call" to me and then when I looked at her she would
give me a demanding "urf" sound and run out of the kitchen...being
busy, I wasn't too alert to the fact that she was asking me to come to
the back of the house!  Finally, as I started walking to the bathroom,
she started running in front of me, looking over her shoulder, and
"urfing" all the way down the hall...OH, I said, now I get it - so I
followed her to my room...and there was her problem.  Our friend's
13 year old, indoor-only cat was very upset and disoriented, having
gotten free from her guest room accomodations accidentally.  Hana was
most insistent that I DEAL with this problem and kept hovering in
the background talking to me while I tried to calm and move the
cat to "safe" territory.  That done, Hana very happily went back to
the front of the house where she oversaw the dog's play, commenting
on, and even, when needed, whapping a dog nose to discourage overeager
canine attention.  Believe me, they paid attention to her!

Poor Missy Hana, thanksgiving was a very demanding time for our little
hostess...but, after a day's rest, she was up and about, fusssing
around the house and making sure that all was as it should be...now,
if she can just keep us well-behaved through Christmas....

Hope to see the west coast feliners on the 11th....

				D

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% From: 51.10.dnet!daw@abb-sc.COM (Dian Wilde - consultant)
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% Cc: DAW@netcom.com
% Subject: a cute Missy Hana story...

    Our feline family currently consists of eight Birmans ..and one ..well,
    let's see ..how can I best describe Corey ..lets settle on Household
    Pest ..OOPS!  I mean Pet  ..though there are several titles that would
    suit him ..some better than others. :^)
    
      Some of you may remember my story of how Corey came to live with
    us some years ago. At first we thought he was completely feral as we
    couldn't get near him when he skirted around the yard and gardens looking
    for prey. Bob used to talk to him by the hour as he was weeding his
    garden and as time went by Corey would usually stop and listen for
    awhile ..always keeping at a safe distance.  The distance kept
    shrinking  ..and one day Corey casually walked across the garden and into
    Bob's lap ..and heart. 
    
       As the weather got colder we made a warm bed in the horse barn for
    Corey and left food and water for him twice a day.  Bob began the search
    for an owner ..posters, ads, etc.  Corey still kept a wary distance from
    me and others ..but he followed Bob around the yard like a dog. Then he
    disappeared for awhile and we hoped his owner had found him and kept
    him in.   Days later he showed up with his nose pressed against the
    sliding glass door of our kitchen ..and I could see he was thin and
    matted ..with a torn ear, a gash on his nose and an abcessed leg. I
    was amazed that he let me pick him up and bring him inside  ..and
    didn't even struggled as I flushed and medicated the leg wound.
    
    	We decided then that it was most likely he was a stray ...or if
    he had an owner they obviously weren't caring for him. He went off to
    the vet's that morning for the works ..neutering, shots, tests and
    treatment for the leg.  He adjusted to the life of an indoor cat as if
    he had always intended it that way.
    
    	I was watching Corey the other night ..all 20 lbs of him ..sleeping
    in his usual position. Bob was trying to correct papers (I had quickly 
    learned that having Corey in his lap is a requirement for that) and
    there was Corey ...sprawled on his back with all four feet up in the
    air. The back of his neck was on Bob's lower arm and his head was
    resting on the pillow just beyond. He was the picture of contentment, 
    comfort ...and trust.  I commented to Bob that I couldn't believe we
    ever thought he was feral. He's a model lap cat. :^)
    
    	There's no doubt Corey is a character ..and though I'm the official 
    'cat person' in the family ..let me warn you that if you ever give Bob
    an opening to talk about Corey he is liable to bore you as would the
    proudest of grandparents. 
    
    	Now I love all of our cats ...honest ...but a stranger would sometimes
    wonder if they heard me babbling on to Corey ...chastising him for his
    latest escapade.  It's pretty obvious that his perception of life and
    the order of things is often different from mine ..and, being a cat, he
    is quietly confident that his way will prevail.  Of course he's right.
    My only recourse is to resort to childish name-calling to let him know
    I am disatisfied with the situation ..and my favorite name for him is
    "Turkey".  I try not to wonder why Bob and he exchange such satisfied
    looks when I call him that ...but that's another story  :^)
    
    Well, some cats are just determined to live out their destiny...  Bob
    called me into the kitchen last night saying I just had to see
    something.  There, on the kitchen table, was the 20 lb Turkey himself,
    .....Corey was sound asleep ..*in the middle of the turkey platter*!
    
    I laughed 'til I was sore ...at which point he raised his head ....looked
    at me over his shoulder  ...and winked.
    
    I'm still wondering who had the last laugh.......
    
    Linda  :^)
    
    	
    
    	There's no doubt I love all of our cats ..but strangers would
    sometimes wonder if they could 

    Kyra did something this morning that makes me SWEAR that she
    understands english!!
    
    Every morning, after we eat breakfast, Bob or I will get her "Kitty
    teaser" out of the china cabinet and play with her for about 5 minutes. 
    Now, she knows where we keep the kitty teasers and if you go even
    SOMEWHAT NEAR the china closet, she's right there waiting for the
    teaser.
    
    This morning she was particularly restless.  You could tell she really
    wanted to play.  She was just walking around and crying, looking at the
    china closet every once in a while.  
    
    She sat next to my chair and looked up at me and let out a big cry.  I
    looked at her and just said, "WHAT do you want??"  She looked over at
    the china closet and then looked back at me.  I just looked at her and
    said, "No, we'll play with your teaser later".  At that she put both of
    her ears back (I call it, "airplane ears". (-:() and walked over to my
    fiance and started crying again.  He looked at her and said, "What's
    the matter, Kyra??"  Again, she looked over at the cabinet and then
    looked back at him.  He said to her, "We'll play in a little while". 
    She then put gave him the "airplane ears" and walked to the center of
    the dining room and just layed down as if to say, "Ok, but hurry up!!"
    
    She is SO cute!
    
    Holly
    

    Thanks for sharing that Linda...I remember you shared the Corey
    story with me when we were going through a similiar experience
    with Van Gogh last year.  It's amazing how these semi-ferals
    just take over and I'm so happy Corey has such a happy home.
    
    BTW...when I'm mad at Van Gogh's...his nickname is poophead.  Sure
    hope I don't find him sprawled out in poop like Turkey was on the
    platter!!!!

    
    Linda, thanks for sharing that, Just what I needed after a hard days
    work. 
    
    Shaw

    Last night my husband and I were looking through the toys that we had
    gotten our 5 year old daughter for Christmas.   Of course Shadow was in
    the midst of things.   One of the toys that our daughter asked for was 
    Kitty Surprise.  Well, unfortunately we weren't able to find KS, but
    did find something similar.  It was a mother cat, with 2 babies.  When
    you press the babies tummy they cry MEOW, MEOW.  Well when we were
    looking at them, my husband pressed the baby kitties tummy and it cried
    MEOW, MEOW.  Well, Shadow practically flipped.   She got what we call
    "ridge backed".  All the fur on her spine, stood straight up.  She was
    really upset.  She thought that we had bought another cat into the
    house.  She jumped up into the box and started pawing at the stuffed
    baby kitties and she would actually growl/meow at them.  It was
    hilarious.   So much for the idea of bringing any real baby kitties
    into the house like I was hoping to do.   She'd probably kill it....
    

    Rusty has figured out how to open the cat food cabinet door.
    I came home last night to find beef jerky treats in varied state
    of chewed all over the kitchen floor.  Now we have a rubber band
    on the knobs!
    
    Maybe red cat, brains optional doesn't always apply! (8

    Be real careful using the rubber bands!  He may chew through it to get
    the door open and eat it in the process.  We got those baby locks that
    only let you open the door so far, then 
    you have to push down on a thingamajig and open it the rest of the way.
    My cats haven't been able to get past em!  Poor Tubba tho, he gets so
    frustrated that he attacks the toilet paper roll like a mad idiot.
    Karne

From:	JULIET::DECPA::"51.10.dnet!daw@abb-sc.COM" "Dian Wilde - consultant" 16-DEC-1992 13:10:18.33
To:	jan@netcom.com
CC:	DAW@netcom.com
Subj:	another Dilly tale for the gang

picture my roommate, Marge, setting her filled dinner plate on the table
and then going back to get her milk from the refrigerator....suddenly a
little gray, furry face with impossibly long whiskers pops up in her chair.
a quick snatch and the marauder has snagged a hunk of potato roll and she
is off down the hall with her prize...roommate in pursuit, hollering, "You
little sneak!  Give me back my roll!!!"  around the corner Dilly runs,
and into Missy Hana's inner sanctum, the bathroom, so she can investigate
her prize.  Missy Hana and Dilly investigate the purloined roll with
great curiosity..."Hmmmm...so this is the kind of stuff that Mom eats?"
Finally, Dilly decides that if Mom eats it, it must be good, so she bravely
chews it up and swallows it...Marge is laughing so hard by then that she
is not capable of saving her roll, or of lecturing the thief about her
errant ways.

We figure that they will be much less interested in trial raids on the
plates now that they've tasted the food - after all, how tasty can a potato
roll be to a cat?  However, we have also learned that the plates are no
longer "protected" territory and we will be prepared from now on.   Squirt
guns at 30 paces, filled and ready by our plates.

This Birman is fast, clever, and very, very sneaky....it must be the
influence of the Javanese - The Flash has led her astray.

				D

% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
% Received: by mts-gw.pa.dec.com; id AA08660; Wed, 16 Dec 92 13:10:33 -0800
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% Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 12:49:07 -0800
% From: 51.10.dnet!daw@abb-sc.COM (Dian Wilde - consultant)
% To: jan@netcom.com
% Cc: DAW@netcom.com
% Subject: another Dilly tale for the gang

    Dian,
    
    Don't be so sure that The Flash is leading Dilly astray.  When Lizette
    was just a youngin', she tried to steal a crab claw from Bob's plate,
    right under his nose and he didn't notice the claw moving across the
    plate till I said something.
    
    Steffi
    
    PS. Birmans do seem to have amazingly long whiskers.  

    I was down on one leg in a peculiar state, trying to repair something
    on my PC's bottom plate. It was not easy to do this under the table,
    one hand holding the PC, one hand the screwdriver, a penlight torch in
    the mouth and wishing a third hand for the tweezers. The other leg I
    used (I wanted to use) to try to keep Smokey away from site.
    
    Don't think. She jumped over. And over me. I layed flat on the floor,
    upon me the PC, upon us the brokendown table, upon that all Smokey,
    licking herself. My wife could not rescue me, for she almost died of
    laughter...
    
    Nat

    I love it when pussycats do the leap-over-the-unsuspecting-reclining-human.
    Then a few days ago I saw Little Bit do this to Sweetie :-) :-)
    

My friends soon-to-be ex-husband comes from a farm in Ohio,
where his parents still live. They have the barn cats,
the housecats who are too infirm to stay in the barn, and the
porch cats, who are recovered house cats who don't want to go
back to the barn. The house cats are very bold, and, I'm told,
water pistols decorate the house.


                                    seh

    Last night, I heard the unmistakable sound of a cat that's gotten into
    something coming from the next room. I figured Poppy had gotten another
    walnut from the Christmas fruit basket and was playing with it, as
    she's become fond of doing. 
    
    No such luck. When I went to look, I saw that she had plucked Baby
    Jesus from the manger and was batting him around the room. I rescued
    him, unharmed, and suggested Poppy go back to the walnuts. 
    
    The nativity set has been moved to higher ground. 
    
    Kate
    

    
    
    My girl thinks she is baby Jesus!  We have a very large nativity scene
    which is beig enough for her to climb inside.  She just pushes
    'everyone' to the side and lies down in the straw...
    

    Re: .355
    
    Is this the straight road to Hell, or what :-)
    

    Re -1
    
    I tried to explain to Poppy that some might consider her behavior
    inappropriate, but you know how far that gets you with a cat! 
    
    She's moved on to attacking the empty gift boxes, though. 
    
    

    Ever see those expensive Chantal tea kettles that Williams Sonoma and
    other overpriced kitchen stores sell?  The one known for it's 
    "harmonica" whistle?  Santa brought us one this year!  Harmonica is an
    understatement.  This thing sounds like a freight train pulling
    into town!!!  
    
    I highly recommend one if you want to clear the cats out of the
    kitchen within two nanoseconds.  Chubs, Zelda and Lea all were totally
    freaked yet we were amused.  What's worse is that I can't wait to boil
    water again and see them scatter in every direction.  :^)

    
    	I met a friend's new kitty this weekend - Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell
    	is a gorgeous, tiny, brown tiger with white bib and socks, and a
    	plume almost as big as he is. Yes, he's a he, but as a kitten they
    	weren't sure and he's so effeminate they just stayed with
    	`Tinkerbell.'  I picked him up and was scratching his ears, and 
    	his mom said `oh, wait til you see what he does next' - Purring 
    	madly, he rolled up into a ball, grabbed his back foot with his
    	front paws, and proceeded to suck merrily away on his back toes!!
    	What a riot!! She said that if he's walking across the kitchen and
    	she starts to babytalk to him, sometimes he'll fall over and suck
    	his toes right then and there...!!! (he's 9 mos old, btw).
    
    	Sherry
    

    I'm at a loss to understand the current actions of the Honorable
    Colonel Sebastian Moran, DROFFC. As I mentioned before, we've been in
    the new house a month and had the new pup the same length of time.
    During the past couple of weeks, the pup has been playing with The
    Colonel in a manner I thought to be too rough. I grabbed Rummy and was
    very firm in telling him to be gentle with the kitty. At which point
    the Colonel came over, waggled his posterior in the puppy's face and
    meowed at me. I gave up. The Colonel seems to enjoy being squished and
    drooled on and nosed around. I still yell "Easy with the kitty!" as
    Rummy is gaining .5 pounds a day and weighs about 45 pounds right now.
    He'll be 3 months old Wednesday. I don't want a 150 pound dog pouncing
    on the Colonel as much as he enjoys it right now. Maybe this is some
    kind of war game practice for the Colonel? I have noticed that the
    Colonel has lost his excess weight and looks very trim. Very strange
    exercise program. The Colonel seems very happy, he sits in the window
    and watches the birds, or basks by the heat ducts or sits and purrs and
    blinks at me. Strange way to live.
    
    Sari

    Just thought I'd write a little about Lula and Linus.  Ever since I got
    Lula, she's been picking up a lot of Linus' habits--good and bad. 
    Like, she saw Linus sleeping on top of the kitchen cabinets...so, the
    next day, she learned how to get up there too.  She's learned how to
    use my kitchen chairs as scratching posts.  She knows the sound of a
    deli bag and what that means.  She knows to run at the first sight of
    the vacuum too.  But the cutest thing is, that Linus has a habit of
    lying upside down on his back with all his legs sticking out...I love
    when he does this.  Well, last night I went into the bedroom, and there
    was Lula and Linus on the bed both lying upside down with their legs
    sticking out.  All I could see was one big fat Linus belly and one tiny
    little Lula belly...
    
    
    Di & Li & Lu

    This morning I got out of bed, careful not to disturb Lizette, who was
    sleeping in the middle of my side of the bed.  After showering and
    getting ready for work, I covered her with a light blanket and she
    snuggled in.  Bob called me at 12:45 and gave me an update on the status 
    of the cats.  Lizette had not moved from that spot.  She's amazing. 
    But what is better to do on a cold rainy day?  I'm envious. ;-)
    
    Steffi
            

    Well, this is something that dear Kyra did last night.
    
    Lately, she's been wanting to sleep under the covers with my fiance and
    I.  She usually sleeps between us.  
    
    Well, last night I woke up to her digging at the covers, so I lifted
    them up and she crawled under.  She slept right up against me and put
    her head under chin.  She was SO cute.  I put my arm around her and
    fell asleep.
    
    About an hour or so later, she was still there, but I had to roll over. 
    I very carefully moved my arm and rolled over.  She sprawled out a bit,
    put her head up higher on the pillow and layed flat up against my back! 
    She stayed there until morning!!  
    
    She's so cute!
    
    Holly
    

    I want to share this story Dian Wilde sent me.  I have her permission
    to post this.
    
    Jan
    
    
From:	JULIET::DECPA::"51.10.dnet!daw@abb-sc.COM" "Dian Wilde - consultant" 22-JAN-1993 12:34:33.50
To:	steffi@netcom.com
CC:	JAN@netcom.com, DAW@netcom.com
Subj:	Who says cat's can't take revenge...


Okay, the background is....we are having Marge's bathroom completely re-done
to repair water damage so the drill each morning is to get the cats into
the family room with sun, cat tree, cat box, food, water, heated napping
pads, etc....this is not exactly purgatory, we are talking about.  The cats
generally love this room, but BECAUSE we want them there, they now run from
it like their tails are on fire each morning.  Well, yesterday, Dilly and
Sam both ran into my office and promptly hid...fine, we just put in a cat
box, water, food, and closed the door.  Hana and The Flash were captured
and put in the family room.  Off to work we went, secure in the knowlege
that our darlings were safely out of harm's way.  

When Marge got home last evening, she opened the family room up and out
ran Hana and The Flash, both ragging on Marge about the treatment they
had received that morning...and then Marge went down the hall to the
office.  At the base of the door, on the hallway side, was a pile of
shredded up paper.  This paper had been shredded into little, tiny
pieces, and with great effort, it had then been pushed under the door
into the hall.  This was not possible without intent and a great deal of
work...the door fits quite well and there isn't that much space between
the door and the carpet...Dilly had spent the day taking paper from
on top of my desk, moving it across the room, shredding it, and then
SHOVING IT UNDER THE DOOR.  The paper Marge discovered was, in fact,
the bottom half of a cover to a brochure - so she removed it and 
proceeded with her plan - obviously designed to express her displeasure
at the proceedings.

The construction team leader mentioned seeing this paper coming from
under the door - and knowing that we had cats and he was not supposed to
open the door, he just watched in amusment as the pile of paper grew
all afternoon....meanwhile, The Flash had her paw under the family
room door and was periodically rattling it quite aggressively and
hollering...with that siamese yell, the construction workers had NO
idea what was behind the door...but they decided they didn't want to
know.

Who said Birman's aren't rocket scientists?  Dilly is obviously quite
bright and quite stubborn - I took the hint...today she is in the
family room with the other girls, safely away from my office and my
diskettes.

				D


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% Received: by mts-gw.pa.dec.com; id AA29602; Fri, 22 Jan 93 12:34:16 -0800
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% Message-Id: <9301222033.AA07638@netcomsv.netcom.com>
% Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 12:11:47 -0800
% From: 51.10.dnet!daw@abb-sc.COM (Dian Wilde - consultant)
% To: steffi@netcom.com
% Cc: JAN@netcom.com, DAW@netcom.com
% Subject: Who says cat's can't take revenge...

    I have what I consider a cute story. 
    
    Yesterday afternoon, the stray I've been feeding was around, so I
    thought I'd give him a treat, and got him a half a can of wet food, and
    put it in his bowl.
    
    Well, Feendoonie (my little sleek black girl) decided she wanted out on
    the porch. I stood just outside the kitty door, and held it so she
    couldn't push it open. 
    
    She's too smart for me! She quickly figured out the door couldn't be
    pushed, so she snagged the edge of the kitty door with her claws, and
    PULLED it open, and out she came! I was amazed! She's too smart for her
    own good sometimes. ;-)
    
    She the smart one of my three. Furby is the dull bulb! ;-)
    
    Yonee
    

    The other night Lula was having a party in my bathtub...but I ignored
    her as she loves to slide around in there.  Got up to use the toilet,
    and noticed that somehow the toilet paper roll (which is right next to
    the tub) seemed to have dwindled down a lot since I just had changed
    the roll.  Out from behind the curtain comes a swift little grey paw
    grasping for the toilet paper roll, pulling the paper into the tub
    until there's no more to be had.  When I looked in there, she had
    shredded paper everywhere and was having a blast sliding in the stuff. 
    She's so cute but so fresh...she got mad when I threw it out to take a
    shower.
    
    Di & Li & Lu_who_loves_confetti

    That's cute!!  My kitties love to play in the bathtub, especially
    Herbie, who has been jumping in there a lot right after I shower.  I
    think he is trying to tell me he's due for a bath!  Anyway, whenever I
    think of it, I usually throw a ball in there for him to bat around the
    tub.  He goes nutty!!
    
    -Roberta
    

    I am so happy today!  
    
    Two weeks ago when I was in Santa Rosa for a show I came across a
    gorgeous stray cat who was running around the motel and crying at the
    top of his lungs.  At first I thought it was the brown tabby and white
    Maine Coon kitten a friend was showing, and that he had somehow gotten
    out of her room, so I went after him.  He was easy to catch, since he
    ran right up to me.  Once I had my hands on him, I realized that he
    wasn't Sue's cat, he was filthy dirty, and was covered in mats.  Closer
    inspection showed that he was also covered in fleas, ear mites, worms,
    and had a major abcess forming on his tail.  I decided to bring him 
    home with me (split second decision, he was so adorable and sweet)
    which made my two traveling companions think I was absolutely nuts.
    
    Since I was sharing my room with Patsy and Kelly, and their cats, I
    couldn't really bring this cat into our room.  I had to find someone to
    put him up for the night.  But first I had to find him a carrier.  We
    ran into our regional director, who happened to have an extra cardboard
    carrier in his car.  I boxed up the cat, who was not pleased with the
    arrangement, and then set out to find him lodgings for the night.
    
    Maureen and Bob, fellow Birman breeders and cat tree vendors were at
    the show, but had no cats with them this time, so I called them to see
    if the cat could stay in their bathroom.  They readily agreed once they
    met him.  The next obstacle was finding a litter box for the little
    guy.  After calling everyone in the motel that we could think of, and
    checking the hospitality room, we remembered that some of the smokers
    had been putting their cigarettes in a litter box outside the show
    hall.  So off to the showhall we headed for that litter box.  We dumped
    the litter and ashes, wiped out the box and filled it with clean
    litter. 
    
    So, I had a carrier, I had lodgings, I had bathroom facilities, and we
    had enough dishes and food for the night, so the stray kitty was all
    set...except for what to do with him in the morning while we were at
    the show.  
    
    Check out time wasn't until 2:00 p.m. so we figured we were safe til
    then.  Once we got to the show, it was amazing how many people were
    eager to help me figure out a plan.  There were extra rooms in the
    showhall building, so we borrowed a benching cage from the cage
    supplier and set it up in another room.  The cat wasn't too pleased
    with the arrangements at first, but when I brought out a can of Sheba
    for him he decided that it wasn't so bad afterall.  After the show was
    over I bought a plastic kennel cab for him for the ride home, and we
    were all set (I figured that cardboard carrier wouldn't stand up to a
    three hour drive).
    
    Ken wasn't too thrilled with the prospect of taking in another stray at
    first, but once he met this cat, he changed his mind.  This cat is so
    incredibly sweet.  When you pick him up he wraps his paws around your
    neck and purrs.
    
    Tuesday night Ken and I bathed the cat, wormed him, cleaned his abcess,
    vaccinated him, and started him on mite medication.  It was amazing how
    gorgeous he was once he was clean.  He has the most striking color and
    pattern, and very vivid green eyes.  I am totally enamored of this cat.
    
    Unfortunately, there was a down side.  When I was pilling him and
    looking him over closely, I noticed that he had very, very pale gums.
    All I could think of was that he had FeLV and/or FIV.  I was dreading
    finding out for sure.  I made him an appointment to be tested, but
    since the clinic was to pick him up for me to take him to the
    appointment, and we kept getting our signals crossed, getting his
    results became a long drawn out affair.  This just prolonged my agony!
    
    Well, finally yesterday we got the results and I am so relieved and
    happy to say that he tested NEGATIVE to both FIV and FeLV!!!!!  What
    great news to get on my birthday!  I am so happy!!
    
    I would dearly love to keep this cat, but we are at household pet max
    right now.  I am pretty sure that I have a home lined up for him
    already.  I just wanted to share with you that what this cat did 
    today was that he made me the happiest rescuer on the planet.  Had he 
    been positive I was prepared to put him to sleep.  I am just grateful 
    that I didn't have to go through that pain.
    
    Jo
           

    Jan, I think he should visit you.  (for an extended visit! :^)

    .370
    
    Jo, what a great story and such a happy ending.  My heart went up in my
    throat when I got to the part about his white gums so I was so relieved
    when he tested negative.  What a lucky cat to have found you!
    
    Pat & Clan
    

    Great job Jo......it was so nice to hear about a happy ending
    for a change!!!!  I'm sure you will do whatever needs to be done
    to find the "right" home for kitty!!!
    
    Sandy

    I looked out the window at home in time to see my outdoor
    kitty, Nique, bringing home a guest for dinner the other night.
    It was a tabby w/white DSH, and I guessed it to be between 5-7
    months old.  Cute little thing.  The good news is it was well
    fed, had a flea collar on, and as my husband mentioned, it went
    home after dinner! (;

    Congrats, Jo!
    
    I know how wonderful that feeling is when you hear that a waif you have
    found passes all the tests. Make up for all the worrying while waiting
    for the tests!
    
    THE FIRM and Deb

    As many of you know, we've had quite a bit of very cold weather in New 
    England this winter. Poppy has been working very hard to raise keeping
    warm to a new level of art. She was spending a lot of time on the end
    table, with her head under the lampshade.
    
    On the weekend, I had put away the groceries and put the paper bags 
    into a cardboard box so both could be put out with the trash. It was 
    next to the baseboard heater, so Poppy had three of her favorite 
    things all in one place -- a stack of grocery bags to sit on, a box
    to sit in, and a heat source. I noticed she had her nose stuck in the
    baseboard heater and didn't think much about it. I came back later, and
    she still had her nose in there. I wondered what she could smell that 
    was so interesting? Well, she wasn't smelling anything at all -- she
    had her nose in there to keep it warm! 
    
    Once I determined she couldn't hurt herself, I left her alone to doze 
    for the afternoon with her nose stuck in the heater. What a goofball!
    
    Kate
    

    We installed a wood stove, and yesterday we had it inspected, and got
    the first fire going in it (the electricity in Hudson, MA is horendous,
    and we have an all electric trailer)
    
    Well, Furby, my little heat seeker discovered how toastie warm the rug
    in front of the stove is, and conked out in front of it. She started
    out on her stomach, but every time we looked over there, she had turned
    a quarter turn. She was acting like a rotisserie! And she had the
    cutest happy face on the whole time! She looked like "WOW! How come we
    didn't get one of these a long time ago! This is GREAT!!!!" 
    
    She usually parks herself over the entire heat vent in the living room
    and sucks up all the heat while we still feeze! ;-) Now at least we can
    all share it!
    
    Yonee
         

    Isn't it a riot?  Here they are, in a nice warm house instead
    of out in 15 degree weather, and they seek out more heat!
    
    All of mine can be found curled up on the waterbed right now,
    I bet....
    

    
    
    	Audrey zones out SITTING UP next to my steam radiators.  She
    	falls asleep in the sitting position.  Nothing but a very loud
    	noise will rouse her.....she *loves* the heat.
    

Nutmeg is a very petite calico.  Last night she was pleading to have my
yogurt cup when I was done with it.  She stuck her head all the way inside
to get the spoils at the bottom, and, of course, came up with the cup 
firmly affixed to her head, over her eyes, up to her ears.

Being a rational, sensible calico, she didn't panic.  She simply began to
*back up*.  She backed up right into the couch, and stood there.  Cup fixed
firmly to the head, couch fixed firmly to the rear.  I believe she would
have stood there all night if I didn't save her from that yogurt cup.

bill
and
Klaus,Katrina,Phantom,Nutmeg,Coconut,Georgina,Bailey&Bosco

    re.: heat
    
    My mother's siamese sits always on the oven. I can not touch the oven.
    After an hour I can not touch the cat.
    
    You could iron with him, I wonder how the heat does not hurt him!
    
    (I measured temp on the oven surface he is sitting on. It showed 72
    Centigrades! Unbelievable! Wanted to measure cat, got bitten, cat back
    on oven, thermometer broken, mother laughed herself almost dead.
    So it was.)
    
    Nat

    
    
    	re: .380
    
    	baahaahahaahhhhhhhhhhhahahahahahahaaaaa!  giggle....snort.  
    
    	ahem.  =)
    
    	re: .381
    
    	Must be the siamese then, cuz Audrey's siamese.  =)
    

    Nat,
    
     I'm sitting here laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes, and my boss
    is now convinced I'm totally out of my mind! I keep picturing someone
    ironing a shirt for work, using a Siamese, and the cat with it's best
    "disgruntled Siamese" look on it's face!! 
    
     I needed that today too! Thanks! Furby has too much fur to use as an
    iron! She'd make a better dust mop! ;-)
    
    Yonee

    My sister lives in a big old Victorian house with big old iron
    radiators that go constantly in the winter time. Her Louise sleeps
    right on the radiators for hours. My sister was worried it was too hot,
    so she covered the radiators with towels. Well, Louise knocked the
    towels on the floor and continued to bake (well, steam, I guess). 
    
    My sister finally asked the vet whether Louise could hurt herself, and
    he said the cat will move before it reaches the combustion point. 
    
    Poppy does the rotisserie bit by our woodstove, too. The other night, I
    was going into the kitchen to get some coffee and asked my husband
    whether he wanted anything. He said, "No, but would you turn the cat
    while you're up?"
    
    ;^)
    
     

	I'm not sure where this goes, but I'll add it here........


	Mogadon, a black and white moggie, is wide awake and with a few minor 
	cuts and bruises.

	He jumped onto the windowsil and fell out


			21 floors - 200 feet!!!!!!!!!


	Just a few minor cuts and bruises!!!!!!


	Heather

When I was a kid the house we had had forced hot air with
little (cat sized) grates. My dad figured if the cats weren't
sleeping on the grates, the house was too warm (This 
occurs at about 65 degrees F (~18 C ?) for most
of the shorthairs we had). I guess its because they run
a higher body tempearture, and even that lovely fur
doesn't make up for the heat loss...

Thanks,
Keith

    re .385 - note 495 is a thread about cats falling from high places.
    You and Mogadon are extraordinarily lucky.
    
    I wonder what goes through their little heads while they're flying?
    
    len (whose Merlin only fell 4 stories and lived to be silent about it).
    

Little Miss Nutmeg found me eating yogurt again last night... only this time
I was sitting on the bed watching TV.  Head goes in cup, head comes up with
cup firmly attached, again.  

So, same solution:  back up.  She backs up the the edge of the bed, and
WHOOPS, no place to put hind feet!  Aha, turn, keep backing up.  Now
she reached the corner, and stops.  She stands there, still, looking like
she's some sort of toy cat with a plastic neck waiting for a head to be
attached.  

She doesn't even whine, or cry.  Just sits there.  Maybe the yogurt has
displaced her brains...

(I promise I only laughed for 2 seconds before I rescued her...)


bill
and
Klaus,Katrina,Phantom,Nutmeg,Coconut,Georgina,Bailey&Bosco

    re: yogurt cup cat I and II
    
    I'm sitting here laughing so hard to myself my eyes are watering, and
    I'm trying desperately to keep from actually making any sounds.  It's
    so easy to see in my mind's eye this cat trying the obvious way to get
    that darned thing off her head, so patiently and so unsuccessfully.
    
    Thank the Lord for cats, what would our world be like without them...
    
    len.
     

    A coworker just asked me if I was OK, since she saw me dabbing my eyes
    and blowing my nose!!  She had no way of knowing it was yogurt-stories-
    inspired-hilarity....
    
    Good kitty Nutmeg!  She knows you'll rescue her, I guess.  I *love*
    your storytelling style (toy cat awaiting a head, indeed!).
    
    Leslie

    Gee, I'd be afraid Nutmeg would suffocate!

>    Gee, I'd be afraid Nutmeg would suffocate!

Hmmm.  For a second I thought I should have been more concerned, but then
I remembered something Klaus tells me any time I open the refrigerator:
Cats can survive on NOTHING but yogurt.  Just give me a chance with a
full cup.  C'mon.  Don't close the door.  Hey, that's my tail in the door.

bill

    Re: radiators in big victorian houses.....
    
    We've got a not-quite-so-big old Victoran with steam radiators.  Right
    now the radiators have badly scratched and worn silver paint on them,
    but one by one as we renovate the rooms we paint them black.
    
    Ebony (our little all-black devil cat) will ONLY sit next to the
    black ones.  The combination looks *really* great 8-)
    
    I swear, cats have an incredible sense of aesthetics...
    
    Another time, Tamara brought home a big block of white marble from
    her stone sculpture class; the block was tall and narrow, and Tam
    was trying to figure out what she wanted to carve in it.  Well, Ebony
    *loved* to perch herself up on top of that marble block, feet together,
    tail curled around it... the black-and-white combination looked
    WONDERFUL.  So Tam carved (actually, is still carving) a white cat
    out of the white marble (modeled on Ebony, of course!).
    
    When the sculpture is done and she brings it home, I'd love to get a
    picture of black Ebony nose-to-nose with the white statue 8-)
    
    --jim
    

    Friday night I came home to one heck of a mess!  It's really a good
    thing that the FELINERS didn't come over, because you would have had
    the laugh of your life!!
    
    As some of you know, I live in a very old house.  There's one place in
    my dining room where there are three drawers that are built into the
    wall.  
    
    I had something to do after work at my mother's house, so I didn't go
    home right away.  I got a call at my mother's from my fiance, who had
    just gotten home.  
    
    Kyra usually greets us at the door when we get home.  However, she
    didn't greet us that day.  Bob went looking for her and could hear her
    cry.  He thought maybe I had accidentally shut her into one of the
    bedrooms.  He finally traced her crying to one of the drawers in the
    wall.  Well, evidentally, I had left one of the drawers open just
    enough so that Kyra could squeeze in.  He opened the drawer and out
    popped a SOLID GRAY turkish angora!! (she's supposed to be white!)
    
    Evidentally, what had happened is she went into the drawer and then got
    behind the drawer.  As I said, I live in an old house.  I took the
    drawer out and it looked like it hadn't been vaccuumed since the house
    was built.  She evidentally had been rolling in the dust!  I think the 
    reason that she couldn't get out is when she went back into the drawer 
    from behind it, she may have pulled it shut just enough that she
    couldn't squeeze out.
    
    She looked SO funny!!  As she walked little puffs of dust would come
    out of her coat!!  The only white spots on her were on both sides of
    her nose, right near her tear ducts.  
    
    Of course you know, this HAD To happen the day before a show!  I had
    just given her a bath Thursday night because I was expecting the
    FELINERS over on Friday.  I had to give her another bath (obviously). 
    It took 5 washings to finally get all of the dirt out of her!!  Ugh!!!
    
    Holly
    

    The other day I was putting some Clearly Canadian bottles into
    the fridge.  I had taken them out of the carton and left the
    carton (intact, 4 bottle sizeize) on the floor.  Well, as usual
    Red (aka "The Fur Toddler") had to inspect everything.  He
    inspected the carton, inspected it a little further, and a 
    little further an, and then I turned around to see my cat *wearing*
    a Clearly Canadian Coastal Cranberry 4-pak carton around his
    middle, walking calmly out of my kitchen!  He is a big (15 lb)
    cat and the carton fit him quite nicely, so I waited to see
    how long it would take my walking advertisement to realize
    what he'd done.  It didn't faze him the least until he went
    to sit down and realized that freedom of movement wasn't
    what it used to be.  At which point he promptly plopped
    down on his side and attacked the offending carton, which 
    I then removed.  But it was rather funny looking at him
    walking around the room like he was advertising a sidewalk
    cafe :-) :-)
    
    Mary-Michael

    Chubs was sitting by the tub yesterday patiently waiting for me to get
    out of it.  I was petting him for quite a while before I noticed he was
    leaning off to one side imitating the leaning tower of pisa.  When I
    glanced down, he was perched on three legs, his left paw in the air
    making "kitty muffins".  

	It's spring!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

	Cider came in yesterday, after stroking him a bit, I smelt a nasty 
	whiff............I think he must have rubbed his face against
	something a whole tom sprayed against.

	I suppose it's a blessing it was only his face - my hand still isn't
	back to normal!

	Heather

    On Sunday, my husband and I purchased a scratching post for Shadow and
    Sammi, and bought a bag of dried catnip to sprinkle on it in case they
    weren't interested. But the woman at the store sprayed it with a catnip
    spray too, before we left. Well, they were all over it as soon as we
    brought it in the door, Sammi climbing it and Shadow laying with his
    nose pressed into the carpet, inhaling deeply. So the bag of catnip
    went unopened. Yesterday I thought I should put it away until we were
    ready to use it, so I took it in and laid it on the kitchen counter. 
    When my husband got home last night, he found that Shadow had jumped on 
    the counter, ripped open the bag, and covered the entire  kitchen 
    with catnip - the stove, the counters, the floor, everywhere!  We'll be
    finding catnip for some time to come.  I hope he had a good time!  
    I only wish I could have seen it - and his face when he heard his
    Daddy's key turn in the door.  UH OH!
    
    Rebecca 

    RE: .398
    
    hahahaha!!  They had quite the "kitty party" while you were gone!!
    
    Cute!
    
    Holly
    

    That is one thing you can't leave hanging around.  I put all new
    catnip toys and fresh catnip in my freezer until I'm ready to use 
    them!!   I use to put the catnip in my cabinet until smart Barkley 
    learned how to open the cabinet door!!!
    
    I'm sure they enjoyed themselves that day.....
    
    Sandy

    Ah...just thought of another thing.  I store some of the catnip we
    use at our shelter in my freezer so I always have huge bags of it!!
    Well one day my aunt and cousin opened my freezer...and the look
    on their face was precious.  They must have thought it was pot
    and I was into drug dealing!!
                                               
    Sandy

    RE: Sandy,
    
    Even worse, I keep catnip in a sandwich bag, all wrapped up and then
    put that into a coffeecan.  One day while a friend was over, I dug out
    some catnip for the furrfaces.  You should have seen the look on my
    friend's face when I brought out the sandwich bag!!  hahahaha!!! (-:
    
    Holly
    

    
    Nique, my outdoor cat, is bringing home "guests" to visit!
    
    Last week, before the storm, it was what looked like a young
    female tabby w/white that looks to be in the "el prego" way!
    (Just what I need, being so busy with the long drive, the
    Horsemens Faire, the store move to a bigger location....)
    
    Last night, it was a long haired B&W cat, that I think lives
    down the street (Whew!)  No sign of either cat since their
    "visit".....

    Be careful, Lynne.  My big guy Spike brought home a friend one day, a
    female in heat (Spike is neutered and elderly, but can't blame the guy
    for trying). After I got her spayed and shots and a new home, Spike
    brought home her twin brother. He stayed. Up until this point, NO
    OTHER CATS WERE TOLERATED at my house.  Guess Spike has a soft spot for
    abandoned tiger kitties...
    Sarah

    I've just about had it with my evil kitty Cleo.  I think from now on
    she gets locked in the basement when I go to sleep.  You see she's got
    this wonderful idea that I like to be woken up by the sounds of mini
    blinds and fans being playfully batted by a cute little kitty, WRONG! 
    I've sort of learned to live with this by yelling her name which will
    usually put a stop to it.  Some mornings it takes a bit more to convice
    her that her actions aren't appreciated so I stumble to the bathroom to
    grab the water bottle.

    Well now she's found out that the kitchen also has these wonderful
    blinds which make such a delightful sound.  So this morning I hear the
    cleo_alarm start and yell out CLEO!, but she doesn't stop so I look
    over to the windows and no cat. Finally dawns on me she's downstairs.

    Some mornings I wonder why....

    Yesterday, my parish priest came to the house to bless it. As he was a
    little nervous about the dogs, I put them on the porch, but I left the
    cat in. The cat settled himself on a chair opposite Father Gee and
    spent about 5 minutes staring at the priest, who smiled at him several
    times. Then, the Honorable Colonel Sebastian Moran, DROFFC, proceeded
    to yawn in Father's face about a half dozen times. The Colonel left he
    room for the actual blessing, but did come in again as Father was
    leaving. Do I take it that the Colonel is not of the same faith as I?
    Have I committed some sort of feline social error by not consulting
    with the Colonel about having the house blessed? The two St. Bernards
    were perfectly behaved (naturally) but my Afghan cross cried through
    the whole visit. I expected that, she's a conservative Republican
    Protestant. But I didn't realize the Colonel had objections. How shall
    I make amends?
    
    Sari
    

    
    Saturday morning met with Nique's *visitor* waiting patiently at the
    door for me to come out.  Now, usually this young cat sees me,
    and runs.  Did my jaw drop open when he (yes, it is a he) not
    only came to me, but talked and asked to be petted/fed.  He is a young
    male, un-neutered )8, but my guess is he is still under 6 months
    old.  A Mac tabby w/white, he has the cutest face, and unusual coloring
    on his head.  The white goes up his cheek and neck on one side,
    to cover 1/2 of his left ear.  Almost looks like he has been dipped
    in confectioners sugar, or frosted.  Haven't seen him since Saturday,
    so I guess he isn't a stray.  He wasn't in good weight, but he isn't
    a dirty, starving waif, either.  Of course, I fed him! (;

    re: .406
    
    As much as I admire the military prowess of the Honorable Sebastian
    Moran, DROFFC, nevertheless, he is following in the footsteps of his
    infamous namesake, must be an atheist and hence his behavior during the
    house blessing.  Though there is an old military axiom that there are
    no atheists in a foxhole, alas I am very much afraid that our esteemed
    diminutive feline comrade in arms is the exception to the above axiom. 
    Colonel bob strongly urges that you overlook this flaw in the Colonel's
    otherwise outstanding character, and that you proceed from here as if
    nothing untoward has occurred.
    
    Personal regards and felicitations to both you and the Colonel from
    Col. Bob.  Both of us were glad to see the resumption of "dispatches
    from the front".
    
    Steffi

I won't bore you with the details, but last night there was
a very noisy commotion in our kitchen and when Doug went out
to check, there was Harley with his hunted prey cornered on
the counter - a very large RAT!  Now Harley has brought home
some real winners (birds, mice, and even a lizard or two)
but this was uncalled for!  Of course, the rat managed to escape
from the kitchen directly into our bedroom, with Harley in hot
pursuit!  We must have spent 30 minutes trying to catch this
rodent; it was quite hysterical actually!  I was screaming 
everytime the rat scurried from one dresser to another and
Harley was leaping about the room trying to recapture him
and Doug was trying to trap it...it was really wild!

Of course I had much difficulty returning to my sound sleep
and woke up everytime I heard Harley go in or out, fearing
that he'd recaptured the thing and brought it back inside!

The weirdest part about this is that the night before, when
I was hugging my furface and giving him his kitty treats, I said
to him, "You know, if I had two dead rats I'd give you one".  
	
Lisa

    
    This happened a couple of weeks ago and I've only just remembered to
    enter it here...
    
    I went home one lunchtime to find Sammie very interested in something
    underneath the bookcase in my lounge.  I thought it must be a spider 
    that he had been trying to get (he is partial to a crunchy old
    spider...yuk!!).
    
    But he kept flatening himself and, what I thought, was looking underneath.
    Funny thing was that when I looked at him properly, his eye level was not 
    low enough to see underneath - so I gathered that he must be smelling 
    something!  I remember thinking to myself "I didn't realise that
    spider's had an odour!!"
    
    Then he would put his paw under as far as he could reach and start
    clawing the carpet.  This went on for about 20 minutes so I thought I'd
    better see what he was after in case he tore up the whole carpet.
    
    So, spider squasher (really brave me) in hand I began to pull out the
    bookcase...and there to my horror was a...
    

    completely flat mouse!  boy did I jump.  The poor little thing must
    have run under there to get away from the boys but then couldn't get
    out again and died - what a terrible way to go!

    Well, this happened on Saturday at the CFF show in Concord, MA.
    
    Kyra, my Turkish Angora, was competing in the show.  I was getting her
    ready to bring up to a ring and was holding her against the side of my
    stomach and trying to groom her belly.  Well, she decided that she
    didn't want to be groomed anymore and started to squirm.  I firmly held
    her against me so that she couldn't get away.
    
    Well, she decided to go to drastic measures and BITE the closest thing
    to her mouth.  Unfortunately, the closest thing was a certain tender
    part of my upper female anatomy.  Yup, she bit quite hard, too. 
    Luckily she had to go through my sweater, tshirt and bra in order to
    break the skin.  I now have a small bruise on my right one.
    
    Ugh!!  I was in PAIN for about 1/2 hour! 
    
    And of course I was a horrible example and bought her a bed afterward!  
    
    Holly
    
    

    Kelsey did something really funny last night... or at least I thought
    it was.
    
    I was jumproping in the living room to get some exercise, and of course
    the cats were fascinated by the rope moving.  Kelsey got too close and
    the rope hit him in the face (my poor baby!!).  He started taking a
    nutty, hissing and screaming at the jumprope.  Even when I was through
    he would cautiously walk by it and mutter under his breath.
    
    Also, on a different note, do any of the other Feliner's cats hate
    bananas?  Kelsey detests the smell of them, and backs up frantically if
    I am eating one and he's on the counter.  This morning I put two in my
    lunchbag and he was watching me pack lunch, and you would have thought
    I was using the banana to ward off evil spirits the way he backed up
    and scrunched his face!
    
    Guess you had to be there!!
    
    -Roberta
    

    Pee Man loves bananas!!  When I was showing him, I used to have to
    share my breakfast banana with him every morning.  Of course, he likes
    just about everything I like.  We had fun at shows, sharing bananas and
    chicken burritos, my two cat show favorite foods. :')
    
    Jo

    
    
    	Roberta
    
    	Sasha's like that with newspaper.  I had a friend over who
    	teased her with the paper.  He put his hand under it and 
    	made it look like the paper was trying to attack her.  After
    	he moved his hand, she would only come so close and jab at
    	it, back off, jab at it, back off, sniff it, hit it.  It was
    	so funny!
    
    	And yes, she hates bananas too.  =)
    
    	JJ
    

    
    My overgrown kitten, Stingo, absolutely loves it when I mop the floor
    or vacuum the carpet.  For some strange reason he thinks this a game
    and the broom, mop or vaccuum is chasing him.  My other two run and
    hide during any 'cleaning' activity.  Our kitchen is raised about 6
    inches higher than the loving room and Stingo will sit there crouched
    down with just his head resting on the kitchen floor.  He will watch 
    the broom and mop come closer to him and he crouches further and 
    further down  (looks like a kitty-skin rug with moving eyes).  Nothing 
    will discourage him, not the broom bristles actually touching his nose, 
    or the smell of cleaner or even the noise from the vacuum.  I have to 
    actually lock him in another room most of the time or I end up with a 
    kitty with the cleaniest little face and feet in the West. ;^) 
    My fearless boy!
    
    Becky
    

    I few days ago I had my hand wrapped inside my sweatshirt and
    Chief and I were playing.  I would touch him, back off, and then
    he would attack. This is his favorite game with my husband's
    hand. The only difference is that my hand was covered up... Well
    he did not know what the object was and after a while he actually
    hissed while in play mode. I took it personally, but he was really
    hissing at my hidden hand that he thought was some strange creature.
    
    I really never approved of this game since it induces biting, but
    it is so cute how he goes on his back, tries to bite your hand, while
    at the same time kicking the hand/arm with his hind paws. This is
    my husbands favorite way to relate to the cat and I dont  want to
    stop this bond.                                          

    Well, Finnigan thinks he has me all figured out. NOT! ;-) We have a
    stray outside our house, that I am just waiting to get to the vet and
    then the shelter, (My cats absolutely HATE him!). 
    
    Anyway, I feed him in the morning, but not usually at night, because I
    don't want raccoons coming around. (I'll give him a snack in the
    evening if he comes around, but I don't leave it down for him at night)
    Usually about 5:00 in the morning this guy decides he's hungry, and
    tries to come in through the kitty door. Finnigan stands gaurd and pops 
    him every time he sticks a paw through.
     
    Rather than listen to this, I usually get up, get some food for my
    outdoor guy, and put it on the porch for him, and all is quiet. I made
    the mistake of giving Finney a treat once too, because he protected his
    house. DUMB!! I should have known better! ;-) 
    
    This morning at 4:00, I heard the kitty door creaking a bit, then I
    heard it get whacked, and I heard some growling, so I got up, put the
    porch light on, and there was no stray out there at all, (He usually
    waits for me to open the door before he moves away) but Finney ran
    to the kitchen expecting his treat for being a protector! Unreal! 
    
    Since he's too fat anyway, he was forced to wait until I got up to feed
    my whole crew. Pretty smart though, and it may have worked, had he not
    picked quite so early a time to try it! ;-)
    
    Furfaces! What would the world be like without them? BORING, that's
    what! ;-)
    
    Yonee

    Last night the new kitty demonstrated why his name should be 
    MacGyver.  He's too resourceful.
    
    I had him out of the tokyo cage for a while since Jo and Ken were
    over.  The original plan was to send him home with them since he
    wasn't quite working into the household.  We decided to postpone
    that decision for a while longer.  Anyway, I had put all the other
    cats toys up on top of the entertainment center 'cause MacGyver
    like to get into them all (there are bunches of catnip toys in 
    there he loves to slobber all over).  At one point MacGyver climbed
    up on the cat tree next to the tokyo cage.  He then proceeded to 
    walk across the top of the cage and hop over to the entertainment
    center.  Next thing we new he had his face buried in the basket full
    of toys.
    
    MacGyver is definitely an appropriate name for this guy.
    
    Jan

     
    Re: .411  I can sympathize with you!  I experienced the same thing
    a few years back--inflicted by a poodle. youchhhhhhhh!!!!!
    
    
    
    

    Bob and I spent over 2 very worried hours this morning looking for
    Misha.  
    
    The original plan was for Bob to take Misha to the vet's this morning
    (we never mentioned a word about it, since he hid last time Bob told
    him they were going to the vet's).  At 8:00 Bob called the vet to say
    he would be late, because we couldn't find the cat.  They said they
    would keep the appointment open til 10:30 when Dr Rue goes into
    surgery.  We even looked outside on the very small chance that Misha
    got out.  We searched inside all the closets, under the bed, everyplace
    we could think of and no Mish.  Finally, at 9:45, I had to get to work. 
    About 10:20, Bob called.  He had been sitting quietly upstairs, and heard 
    our contractor arrive, so he went down to talk with him.  Bob looked into 
    the living room and THERE was Misha, sitting by the couch and looking very 
    innocent.  We have NO idea where he was hiding.  Can he read minds?  He
    never hid from us like that before.  Such frustration and worry. 8-}
    
    Steffi
    
    

    I'll bet Misha was either in the fourth dimension for a visit, or he was
    just making himself invisible to you and hubby, because he knew where
    he was 'supposed' to be going! 
    
    Cats! I couldn't be without them!
    
    Yonee

    A family of birds has decided to build it's nest in the eaves of our
    roof right above our patio door.  My cats are going nuts!  There was so
    much birdy activity during the building phase, but now there are baby
    birds in there chirping most of the time.  I come home from work and
    open the patio door to let the breeze in, and 10 cats have their faces
    pressed to the screen and are making that "chatter" that they make. 
    It's a riot.  I can imagine what will happen when the baby birds emerge
    from the nest to try their wings at flying.  My cats will probably have
    apoplexy.  :')
    
    Crazy birds to build a nest on a house full of cats.  Well, at least
    all mine are indoors only.
    
    Jo

    
    
    	Oh my.....I crack up when Sasha makes that noise.  I think
    	I'd be rolling around on the floor if I had ten of them making
    	that noise!!
    

    Do any of your cats make noise while yawning?
    
    Taja opens his mouth real wide to yawn, and then goes something like,
    "Meeaww" real loud while he's doing it.  It is so funny!  Leave it to
    those Siamese to keep you laughing.
    
    
    -Roberta
    

    re .424 - yep, Merlin does that all the time.  His mum was Siamese (his
    dad walked out of the woods one day).  He's just full of interesting
    little (and big) noises.
    
    len.
    

    Well, here is an interesting cat tale that happened last night.
    
    I opened the slider door in the bedroom so the cats could get fresh air
    through the screen.  Now, there are no holes in this screen, nor have
    the cats ever opened it before.  Until last night.  After I opened the
    screen I went in the living room to watch Rescue 911 for an hour, and
    went back into the bedroom afterwards to find both Herbie and Taja *one
    the balcony*, meowing at me to hurry up and let them back inside!! 
    Somehow, they managed to open the screen, go out on the balcony, and
    *close* the screen again!!  But, they could not figure out how to open
    it from the outside to let themselves back in.
    
    I am proud of them though, because they must have just sat there
    enjoying the fresh air instead of devising ways to escape.
    
    While all this was going on, Kelsey was digging in my purse and I
    couldn't for the life of me figure out why he was frantically spilling
    it's contents.  Perhaps he was looking for a nail file or something to
    free them.  Either that or he wanted money to run away from home!!
    
    I certainly won't be leaving the slider open anymore unless I am right
    there in the room!
    
    -Roberta
    

    I'm sure this note is going to get moved to the something they did
    today note, but what the heck, I'll reply first! ;-) Heh Heh! 8-)
    
    What a great story! Furfaces never cease to amaze me in the things they
    seem to reason out, in order to get into trouble! ;-) Watch out though,
    if he teams up with the dog, you could be in for some real mischief!
    ;-)
    
    Thanks! I needed a good story on a boring Monday morning! ;-)
    
    Yonee

    My little terror Spunky has learned a new trick.  
    
    Saturday morning I was climbing out of the shower when I heard
    something fall on the floor in the kitchen.  Around the corner I come
    and there's Spunk on the floor, busily chomping down on the pieces of a
    small milk-bone dog biscuit!!!!
    
    What?  How'd he get that??!!  The milk-bones are in a flip-top box on
    the counter under the upper cabinets!  He'd gotten up in there, opened
    the box, flipped out a bone onto the floor so it would break into
    pieces, then jumped down to eat it up before the dog came along!!!
    
    Of course if the dog were smarter I could see the two of them cleaning
    me out of all sorts of goodies - hey - one for you, one for me!!!
    
    [I ruined their fun tho' - emptied the box of milk bones into the
    doggie cookie jar - with a screw top lid.  If he can get in there I'm
    going to rename him Houdini!]
    
    Of course all this begs the question of why does the cat want the
    dog bones....   !
    
    Dana & Spunky the milk-bone thief    
    -dana & spunky the thief

    I am typically a read only noter but just had to write about this one!!
    Ashley is our 5 month old tiger kitten who is has been an angel up
    until a couple of weeks ago when we started cat sitting for Sam,
    our neighbors cat who lives across the hall.   Sam is a great cat
    but Ashley has been so spoiled with attention by us that any
    other cat is a threat to her being queen of the house.  So, needless
    to say she is p***ed off!   For a couple of nights she kept us
    up all night pouncing on the bed and attacking any body parts 
    that moved.  We have let her sleep with us because she usually
    would just go to sleep when we did and wake us up when it was morning.
    But after a couple of sleepless nights we shut her out of the bedroom
    and she proceeded to dig a hole in the carpet outside our door!!
    She did this two nights in a row and finally my husband got a
    cage from our neighbors who are away and put her in it for a couple
    of hours.   To make a long story longer......the cage thing has worked
    so far.  Those two hours in a cage (although at first I thought is was
    mean) changed her behavior completely and she is now fine at night and
    doesn't bother us.  But last night as we were watching TV she picked
    up her favorite toy, (a stuffed cat that is almost bigger than her)
    that she spends hours wrestling with, carried it by the scruff of the
    neck, and threw it in the cage!!!  She sat there for about an hour and
    guarded it.   Talk about children repeating their parents behavior!!!
    
    Sorry that was so long!
    
    Susan
    

    Susan...hopefully you got a picture of her guarding her BAD stuffed
    kitty who she was obviously punishing!!!!
    
    Sandy

    I wasn't feeling too well yesterday morning, so I had a lie-in. 
    
    I must admit, I hadn't realised what a loving, generous and concerned
    pussycat Jimmy was until now. He went outside, killed a mouse and
    brought it in especially for me! Chewed it carefully to soften it up
    for the invalid, then dumped it right on the pillow, near to my head, so 
    I could see it when I woke up!!!
    
    Thank God I wasn't asleep on my back with my mouth open or I shudder to
    think what could have happened.

    I had finally laid my head down on the pillow for a good nights sleep
    last night at about midnight.  Not a moment after I shut the light off
    and got into bed, I noticed my cats unusually rambunxious
    (spelling???).  I just couldn't figure it out.  Pookie was walking on
    top of the door, yes!!! the door, up by the ceiling....tight roping, I
    guess...while Pickles and Pepper (the kittens) tried to jump from my
    bureau to the top of the door also.  I finally grabbed them and shut
    them in the other part of the house.  It wasn't until morning, that I
    noticed a HUGE moth the size of a silver dollar flying around...
    
    And they wanted him BAD!!!
    
    Now I get it!!!!
    

    The Hon. Colonel Sebastian Moran, DROFFC, made a successful attack on
    the enemy last night. He has had designs on this foe for some time.
    In April, I bought a card table so I'd have a place to do jigsaw
    puzzles. When not in use for that, I leave it on the porch to put
    flowers on. The Colonel has named this his favorite observation post to
    survey the outside world. Lately, I have been "borrowing" it at night
    to do a puzzle on. Apparently, the Colonel took offense at that and
    last night he climbed on my chair, got up on the table next to the
    chair and made a flying assault on the puzzle in progress. He landed in
    the middle of the tray I was using to sort some colors in and sent a
    couple of hundred pieces flying. I screamed, the dogs barked and the
    Colonel stood defiantly as if he were saying "This is unauthorized use
    of military equipment. Cease and desist at once."
    
    Not being the military type, I picked him up and dumped him on the
    porch, with his brothers and sister and spent an hour recovering the
    pieces from the four corners of the room. 
    
    I wish he'd take up chasing moths and leave my stuff alone!
    
    Sari

    re: -1
    Reminds me of the time I was trying to complete an enormous puzzle on a
    low table in the back room. It took a couple of weeks and I left it out
    each time and kept going back to it.
    So did Rosie. When I missed the final vital pieces, I went looking in
    all her favourite hidey-holes and found the missing pieces well chewed
    and totally ruined.

    With three cats who love to dive into a half finished puzzle and
    chew up pieces, my solution has been to cover it with a board or
    phone books, anything they can't move easily.  Since I've started
    doing that I haven't lost any pieces.  ;^)

    Oh Sari, you assaulted a military officer of such high and official
    rank!?  Oh my, you do realize the trouble you're in now?  Oh I 
    tremble to think of the corporal punishment you shall receive when
    the great Colonel brings in his troops..........

    I was packing for an extended weekend, filling up my giant duffle bag
    with as many pieces of clothing as I could fit.  Odd, I can usually
    stuff more than that in there.  Oh well, zip it up and off I go.  Gosh,
    it seems awfully heavy for just summer-weight clothing... Luckily I
    bothered to open it up.  There was Brutus - all 15 pounds of him!
    Sarah

    
    	My Tiggr is an 18 pounder, but the bags/suitcases is one of
    	favorite spots. Whenever I take one out, even my briefcase,
    	he hopes in as if to say "you aren't going anywhere without
    	me!"
    

    The cheekiest little kitten has moved into a house near my mother. A
    beautiful little black male kitten, with absolutely no fear whatsoever.
    He lives with a couple of dogs, some chickens, a goat and heaven knows
    what else, so I suppose it's to be expected. He also regularly comes to
    my mother's house to steal food from her cat's bowl (typical male!) and
    to play with Becky, my mother's cat.
    
    Last night, my brother came over with his two labrador dogs. The kitten
    came to see if Becky was coming out to play and peeped in through the
    closed patio doors. Of course, as soon as the dogs saw him, they went
    mad, barking and rushing towards the doors.
    
    The kitten didn't turn a hair. Instead of bolting off, he rubbed his
    back into the glass door, looked at the dogs, then casually sauntered
    off, leaving the two dogs absolutely flabbergasted at his nerve!

    I have 2 dogs and 2 cats.  One cat, Brutus, and one dog, Bandit,
    absolutely hate each other.  However, the other dog, Bart, and Brutus
    are best friends.  Last night Brutus was in the linen closet, and
    Bandit was hassling him.  Bandit left, and Bart innocently put his
    nose into the linen closet for a quick look-see.  Brutus must have
    expected Bandit had come back again for more, and lunged at Bart.  Bart
    was so surprised, and I swear Brutus was shocked to see he had ambushed
    the wrong dog!  Brutus then proceeded to apologize to Bart, rubbing up
    against him, cleaning his ears for him.  It was so cute to see Brutus
    following Bart around, trying to make up : )
    
    Sarah

    Taja did a really un-cat like thing last night.
    
    I was engrossed in the channel 5 movie-of-the-week, and he was sleeping
    on the arm of the sofa next to me.  All of a sudden he just fell off
    the arm onto the floor with a thud!  It was quite humorous, although he
    was very embarrassed, and just glared at me with an "I meant to do
    that" look on his face.
    
    Of course he did manage to put two rips in the fabric on his way down,
    when he tried to catch his balance with his claws.  Years ago, I would
    have been pissed, but now I just shrug it off and forget about it.
    
    -R.
    

    OK Holly, when are you going to enter the Mondo/Kyra chase story you
    told Monday? It was a great one!
    
    Yonee

    Ok, here it is.
    
    (and Yonne, don't ever call me Holy(y).  I haven't been Holy in AGES!
    (-:)
    
    I have a pair of those big overstuffed slippers shaped like puppies. 
    YOu know, the ones that are sometimes difficult to walk in?!  Well, My
    dear little Mondo is scared to death of them.  They're ok when I don't
    have them on my feet, but when I'm wearing them and they "move", he
    will back away from them and hiss at them.
    
    Well, the other day I was wearing these slippers as it was QUITE cold
    in our house.  Mondo had seen them a few times and each time backed
    away and hissed.  It's SO funny to see this little guy scared to death
    of my slippers!!
    
    I was standing next to the stove in the kitchen which is right next to
    the dining room door.  Mondo and Kyra were in the dining room playing
    "tag" (Mondo goes and attacks Kyra's head, then runs away.  Kyra then
    runs and attacks Mondo's head and runs away.  GREAT game! (-:).  
    
    Well, evidentally Kyra was chasing Mondo into the kitchen when I just
    happened to walk into the doorway (remember, I'm still wearing the
    slippers!).  Mondo was running through the doorway, took one look at my
    slippers, tried to put on the breaks and couldn't, hissed, jumped about
    2 feet in the air, turned around in mid flight and ended up landing on
    Kyra as he tried to run away!  
    
    I almost DIED laughing at him!  He was SO funny!!  Kyra just looked at
    me as if to say, "What a stupid kid!"
    
    Holly
    

    Sorry Holly! I did the same thing in the body of the note, but fixed
    that one! My fingers always seem to put the wrong letter as the double!
    DAH!
    
    
    Anyway, I have a cute story to tell that happened actually while I was
    asleep! I worked for a couple of hours last night, sewing about 70
    catnip pouches for the kitties at the Framingham Shelter. (they love
    them).
    
    Well, dummy that I am, I went into brain lock, and actually put them in
    a zip lock bag, and put them on the floor next to the door, so I would
    remember to put them in my car today for the shelter!
    
    This morning I got up, and saw all these strange lumps all over the
    living room floor, and discovered that my kids had ripped the middle out
    of the zip lock bag, and the catnip pouches were strewn to the four
    corners of the room! They were everywhere, like they had just rolled in
    them and scattered them! 
    
    I got a new bag and put them all back, (but not on the floor!) but I
    did lose at least two of them to the spit monster! A couple of them
    were soaked! YUCK! ;-) 
    
    I wish I could have seen whoever did this, playing in the pile! I'll
    bet it was like kids diving in a pile of raked leaves! No one acted too
    hung over this morning though!
    
    I stood there for a minute in disbelief, and then I started laughing
    like crazy! What an airhead thing to do though! Leave that bag right in
    front of them like that! You'd think I'd know better by now!
    
    Yonee
                     

    
    	Yonee,
    
    	It must have been the kitty-telepathy ... "put them down
    	by the door ..... by the door ...put them down ....."
    
    	Must've made their night interesting!
    
    	Heidi

    I don't know what I was thinking when I did that! You must be right! I
    was brainwashed into doing it! ;-) 
    
    I really do know better, as they have tried to do that before! I
    usually stick them in the freezer until I take them out of the house!
    How do they manage to do that though? 8-)
    
    Yonee

   Yonee's story about the catnip bags reminded me of one - my roommate,
   when I read Yonee's story to her, said "Deb, you gotta tell them about...."!
   So here it is.............

   Back in the days when Peanut was my ONLY cat (I've since progressed to 3
   of mine, 1 for my son and 2 are my roommate's), Ginny had a BIG ONE POUND
   BAG of Catnip that my aunt gave "Neely" (Ginny's now-16-yr-old cat) for
   Christmas - Ginny had "hidden" it up on one of the higher shelves of the
   bookcase, INSIDE another box..............

   Peanut was into climbing at the time, and climbed the bookcase on occasion.
   Low & Behold, when Ginny went upstairs one night, there was Peanut on her
   ORIENTAL CARPET, with the full pound of catnip strewn around him, stoned
   out of his gourd !!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He had managed not only to climb the
   bookcase, but also to find the box that the catnip was in, get it open,
   AND get the catnip out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   'Course, the followup to that was when Ginny cleaned it all up, she had
   to HIDE the VACUUM & TRASH CAN until we could get it out for collection -
   she left the basket out once and Peanut knocked it over to get more
   'nip !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I love my cat, but there are times.... 
    
    I went to the dentist yesterday, and they put this gloppy fluoride
    stuff around the base of some of my teeth. They told me not to rinse or
    swallow for half an hour and sent me home. 
    
    So, I sat down at my desk to try to do some homework, and Poppy, as
    usual, plopped herself right in front of me under the desk lamp. She
    started sniffing my face, and I figured it was the usual kitty nose
    touches. Then she started to sniff my mouth and tried to stick her nose
    between my lips. The fluoride stuff was sweet-tasting, and I guess she
    wanted to check it out. I pushed her away, but she kept sticking her
    nose in my face, trying to lick my mouth. Then she used her paw to try
    to pry my lips open. 
    
    It was bad enough having this yucky stuff in my mouth without having a
    cat nose in there too! So, I directed Miss Poppy to the porch until I
    could rinse  my mouth out. 
    
    Geez, I thought cats had some dignity!
                               
    Kate
    

    Kate,
    
     Thanks for that story! I can't tell you how much I needed that right
    now! I'm sitting here laughing in my office like a buffoon picturing 
    Poppy trying to pry your mouth open to investigate that new smell!
    
    Love,
    
    Yonee

    The scene:
    My apartment.  Major items visible: Me on the floor playing my guitar
    and a wooden rocking chair with a slatted back.
    
    The event:
    I'm hapily playing my guitar, when I hear this meowing noise.  I think,
    "I'm not playing *that* badly" and turn to look.
    Poor Miss Abel has gotten herself stuck in the rocking chair!  She
    tried to go out the back between some of the slats, and made it except
    for her rear legs, which were wedged in place.  Since her front was
    hanging in mid air, she couldn't push backwards, and she couldn't get
    any traction on the seat, so she was *stuck*.  And she was letting the
    whole world know that she was NOT happy about it.  I, of course :-),
    immediately sprang into action, and rescued her, and spent the next
    10 or 15 minutes holding her on my lap.  She calmed down immediately,
    and soon forgot about the incident as I stroked her head the way she
    likes so much.
    All's well that ends with a purring kitty...
    :-)

    re: .450
    
    I'm sorry, but I just had to laugh when I pictured that poor kitty
    stuck inbetween the slats of the rocking chair, trying desparately to
    free herself.
    
    Lori B.

    I laughed too, but not until I was holding her and she was purring.... 
    
    all the poor girl could do was kind flop around a little bit...
    
    :-)
    

    I was very proud of Taja last night.  He is my bullemic cat as I have
    stated in the file numerous times, and usually heaves wherever he sees
    fit.  But last night, he went upstairs, got into the litter box, and
    puked his guts out.  What a cat!  I don't think he understood why I was
    praising him up and down for getting sick, though.  :)
    

    Arrggghhhhh -
    
    We had been keeping Spunky locked up (his words) indoors preceding and
    during the Halloween weekend.  He was also in all day and night Monday,
    so he was absolutely bouncing off the walls (literally) Tuesday.  This
    cat has so much energy to burn!!  So last night when we got home we put
    his collar on and let him out - well he was full of it!  Playing in the
    leaves, chasing us around, just plain carrying on.  We went to take our
    dog for a walk but SPunky started to follow us so we came back into the
    yard, played with him some more, and then got in the car and drove off
    to the high school to walk around there.  When we got back, SPunk was
    nowhere to be found.  8pm, no cat.  9pm, no cat.  We start walking
    around the neighborhood clanking the fork against the food dish (his
    favorite sound).  No Spunk.  We start knocking on neighbors doors to
    inquire whether he could have gotten into a car or garage.  No luck. 
    10pm - drive up and down the streets looking for him, checking out
    dumpsters.  No Spunk.  11pm - we decide to put some food out on the
    back porch, put a chair out with some rugs on it, and leave the outside
    lights on.  2am, no cat.  4am,, no cat.  6am - TA DA!!!!  There he is
    curled up in the chair on the back porch!!  
    
    He ate a whole 1/2 cup of food, purring the whole time, and when I
    checked him over I found a nice cut on his ear but no other injuries. 
    (any tips for cleaning out a surface wound?)  My neighbor, who babysits
    him when we go away and loves him to death, called at 7am to say that
    when she got up at 5:30 she saw him sleeping in the chair.  
    
    So Mom is very tired today - and so is Spunk - he was sacked out on my
    bed when I left for work this morning.  I wonder where he went????
    
    -dana

    Last night Bob and I and 3 cats were in the family room.  All of a
    sudden we heard a thumping noise.  Bob did a cursory look around, and
    didn't see anything.  I knew I hadn't closed Marnie in a closet,
    because he had been in the room a little while ago.  A few minutes
    later, we heard more thumping.  Bob went to look around.  I had Misty
    on my lap.  Bob couldn't find anything.  So I moved Misty and walked
    down the hall and put on the light in Bob's bathroom (which is right
    near the family room.)  There is a moving box in there with the flaps
    closed and I could see orange fur though the middle crack where the
    flaps meet.  I called Bob to come and see what I found and we collasped
    in laughter.  I opened the flaps and out jumped Marnie.  We wondered
    how he got in and closed the flaps, then realized that the flaps were
    closed and he just pushed one down a little as he jumped in.  But once
    in, he couldn't push the flap out.  It was sooo funny.
    
    Steffi

     -.1 just reminded me of last night at our house - I was sitting on the
     couch watching some TV with my son - kept hearing noises upstairs (not
     unusual as the cats like to run & jump and wrestle & play) but then the
     noises changed to sounding like someone was knocking stuff around on
     a table - went up and what did I find ?????  MISSY WITH HER HEAD STUCK
     IN THE KLEENEX BOX !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The two girls LOVE to shred up
     kleenex, to the point that they'll "steal" it from the wastebaskets -
     I guess Missy wanted some *fresh* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    The kleenex box! I love it! My Feendoonie also has a thing about
    shredding tissues! She shreds any paper that may be on the floor, but
    the tissue thing is a bit different.
    
    I keep a box of tissues on the corner of my bed. (not on the table, on
    the bed itself, right beside my head. Allergies you know!) If she wants
    me to get up, and I'm being lazy, she will start shredding the tissue
    that is sticking out of the box. If I tuck it back in, she digs it back
    out! Drives me nuts. You wouldn't think something as quiet as that
    would wake me out of a dead sleep, but it sure gets my attention fast! 
    
    Yup, I surrender after a while, and get up and feed the gang! I think
    the other two put her up to it, as they eat a lot more than she does!
    
    Yonee

    
    Every now and then the kittens (re)discover the Kleenex box, but mostly
    their favorite thing to shred and carry around and hide in Daddy's bed
    is ... Q-tips!  I keep finding Q-tips in the most obscure places.  Some
    with the cotton tuft all puffed up enormously and stretched out, others
    completely denuded of cotton.  They steal them out of the wastebaskets.
    They're especially delectable if they've got ... yech ... earwax on
    them!  I have to be careful to remember to throw away Q-tips with
    noxious substances on them (like rubbing alcohol or lighter fluid) in
    non-kitten-accessible waste repositories.
    
    len.
      

Weedie got in the habit of bringing his favorite furry spider guy (a furry head
with pipe cleaner legs) to bed at night -- after hunting for it, capturing it,
and wrestling it to the ground ...he would jump up on the bed drop it and then
lay down waiting to be praised for being such a mighty hunter cat.  I know that
cats that catch live prey will drop their gifts at the feet of their loved ones 
--- and I suspect that this is what Weedie's offerings are.  

However .... we are now up to a steady stream of toys of all sorts and
descriptions ending up on the bed.  This morning I counted 15 (that fifteen!)
toys ... spider guys, furry mice, rope balls -- this is his record.  Each
morning I distribute them throughout the house on my way down stairs, tossing a
few in each room.  At night I hear Weederman as he collects his toys.

My bed is queen-size, where I take up about a 12 inch strip .... way over on the
edge -- the rest of the bed belongs to Weedie, Tiki, and more toys than most
pet stores carry ... but I suspect that every noter here has a similar sleeping
arrangement ...

	Re: .459 (Q-Tips)

	One of mine likes Q-Tips also.  However someone told me it's
	not good because the cotton could result in impacted intestines
	(he used to chew the cotton off and eat it)?  I now leave my
	used Q-Tips up on a shelf til trash day, but he still begs
	every morning when I clean my ears.

    .454
    
    I know what you mean about the all nighter... On top of that, when
    they come home at 6am they act as if they did nothing wrong. Meanwhile
    you wake up every couple of hours just to check..  I am glad it is
    getting cold out so that he will not do this any more
    
    sandy

    Last night I was inspired to dump Comet cleanser into the toilet bowl
    and let it soak for a while... (bowl was in a double YUCK state).
    
    One of the cats came in to check out what I was doing and started
    rubbing up against the toilet bowl. I thought he just had the "face
    itchies". But then he jumped up on the toilet (lid was down) and
    started rolling around like I had sprinkled catnip rather than Comet.
    
    This went on for 5 minutes or so.  Now... I don't know if it was the
    Comet or what but it was certainly funny to see him going into ecstasy
    over a toilet cleaner (I was very careful about making sure he wasn't
    able to get into any of the stuff). Gee, I wonder if I should clean the
    toilets more often???  nah  :^)

    I have a strange occurance I need advice on. The justly famous Dr. Moss
    recently attended a seminar on giant breed dogs and called me to say I
    should put my puppy on dog food immediately. Twice this week, I've been
    in the living room with all three dogs when I've heard "crunch crunch
    crunch" coming from the pup's bowl. The Honorable Colonel Sebastian
    Moran, DROFFC, cannot get enough of this new dog food. The pieces are
    as big as his face, but he is determined to eat it. I know dogs are
    attracted to cat food, but this is a new on on me! Has anyone else
    experienced this? 
    
    Sari (and Rumpole who wants to know why it is bad for him to eat the
    cat's food, but cute when the cat eats his food).

    
    Well .459 reminded me of my cat Cleo.  Some of her favorite toys are
    stuffed animals, and rope - 3' and 4' in length.
    
    We've installed a cat door in our living room to the basement where
    they spend their days.  (I don't get any style points for that
    decorative feature but it keeps the litter box in the basement :-)))
    Anyhow, I get a kick watching her struggle to bring in the stuffed
    animals through this cat door.  One morning I found at least 4 of her
    toys in the living room.  Thankfully only a couple made it on the bed.  
    
    Does anyone elses cat love rope?  She's obsessive about it!  At night
    she'll always bring it into bed, but only after walking over me with
    the rope in tow.  And in the mornings she positions the rope beside the
    bed as she waits under the bed hoping someone will come by to pick up
    the rope so that she can attack it.  
    
    It's pretty funny, we'll spend all this money on cat toys and Cleo's
    favorite is rope!  
    
    ...Rania
    

    Rhiannon discovered hockey last night.
    
    I was watching the Bruins game while I caught up on some reading on
    the couch when she got up from her usual perch on my lap and trotted
    over in front of the TV; she sat directly in front of the screen and
    turned her head in exact synchronization with the movement of the
    puck on the screen. At one point when the puck left the screen off
    to one side, she got up and moved to look on the floor to see if
    it had popped out!
    
    After a few minutes she lost interest and returned to her nap on my
    lap. She seemed completely uninterested in the Bruins win, or Neely's
    hat trick, or......
    
    	/Harry

    Yup, I've spent a literal fortune on kitty toys, and Feendoonie's
    absolute favorite toy in the world, is a ball of tin foil! She'll chase
    it and bat it for hours! I'm lucky in that she doesn't ever want to
    chew it. Just play with it! I would be VERY nervous if she tended to
    chew it. She doesn't even bite it! (Whew!)
    
    She likes her feather toy best as an interactive plaything. (read Mom  
    and/or Dad plays with her) I'm very lucky when it comes to toys. If we
    aren't actively playing, they are ignored, so if I forget to put one up
    out of the way, I still don't have to worry about them hurting
    themselves. I've heard so many scary stories about some of the toys I
    have! I'm glad my cats are too lazy to play by themselves! 8-)
    
    Yonee

    Re .463
    
    Sari,  I have friends who have a couple of big dogs and cats.  When we
    were visiting, it was fun to watch the little kitten run to eat the
    dog's kibble as soon as it was put in the bowl.  The dog patiently
    waited until the kitten ate what she wanted.  That dog and the cats
    would also curl up and sleep together.
    
    Steffi 

Re: .462

I remember reading, in the distant past, that cats are dangerously
attracted to bleach -- and will even drink it, although it is a deadly
poison.  I wonder if your cleanser had a bleach base that in combination with
the water in the bowl released the bleach odor.


Bye, Carel

    Re:  .462
    
    It definitely has something to do with the bleach.  I get a 
    similar reaction when I spray my dilute bleach and water 
    disinfectant solution in areas of my apartment.
    
    I believe Comet is a bleach based product
    
    Jan

     re .463 - cat eating dog food............

     In our house, we have (collectively, between my son, myself & my roommate)
     five dogs & six cats ............ALL of the cats come running when they
     hear us open the can that holds the dogs' dry food..........one of them,
     Peanut, will eat the dry food right out of the container and has also
     gotten into the habit (thanks to my roommate !) of licking the fork/spoon
     after the canned food is mixed in !!!!!!   The other cats will attempt
     to get into the dogs' dishes before they do, but the guys won't let them...
     we also have to think about where we put the dishes if one of the dogs
     doesn't finish........the cats will jump/climb to the counter, the island,
     the lunchbar, all to get what's left in the dish !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     Our vet told us it's OK for the cats to eat the dogs' food, but that the
     cat food is too rich (too high in protein ??) for the dogs to eat !!!
     They (the guys, the dogs are all boys) can't understand it either when
     the cats get to eat their food but the reverse gets them scolded !~

    
    
    	Well it has been almost a week since "Thumper" now Lilac has been
    	in her new home. So far Lilac has been adjusting to the new
    	home and parents. She is still a little shy, I have to find her
    	and then she is a little cuddle bug....purrrring and happy. She
    	still need some more time to fully adjust.
    
    	B.J my short hair orange tiger has taken Lilac under his wing.
    	He has fully accepted her, the first day he did hisss but I believe
    	he was letting Lilac know what the order was in the house....
    
    	Last night I went down stairs to check on the kitties and guess
    	what I found curled up in his favorite chair.... Yup both B.J and
    	Lilac were curled up together. B.J has a new playmate.... 8^))))
    
    	I made an appointment for Lilac for her first visit to the new
    	vets for her 3rd series of kitten shots and to schedule a date
    	to be fixed.....
    
    	All is well at home, it won't be long before the 4 am kitty races
    	start..... 8^)
    
    	More to come....
    
    
    	Mike  K.C, B.J and Lilac
        	
    
    
    

    Cain and Abel were neutered and spayed (respectively) last Thursday.
    Boy was Abel tuckered out that night when I picked Cain up!
    She was still pooped when I picked her up Friday.
    
    Unfortunately for her, she took out one of her stitches, so I had to
    get one of those e-collars(sp?) that, according to Dave Barry, makes
    the animal look like a "satellite dish".  Actually on Abel, it makes
    her look like a little girl with a bonnet on! From the back, she looks
    more like a trumpet or something...
    
    I can't believe how sweet she is being about it...
    She is even more friendly and prone to enojoy just lying on me or being
    held.  She looks so sad whenever I put the collar on...
    
    Anyone know what the early signs of an infection are?
    
    thanks
    p (phil; for Cain and Abel)

    
    Wound infection - redness, swelling, oozing, hotter than surrounding
    area.
    
    len.
    

    Bob just called to tell me what just happened at home.  Bob just
    brought Misha home from the vet's and carried him upstairs.  Then Bob
    went downstairs and saw Marnie.  He said to Marnie, "Why don't you go
    upstairs and spend some time with Misha.  He probably won't be with us
    much longer."  A few minutes later, Bob started up the stairs and saw
    Misha and Marnie sitting at the top of the stairs.  I guess Marnie
    understood.  It bought tears to my eyes when Bob told me about it.
    
    Steffi  

Gypsy almost came out of his cage yesterday!  I was in his room with the door
shut and opened the door to his cage.  I sat on the bed reading, ignoring him,
hoping he'd come out!  He stood up, the first time he's stood up with my in
the room, put one paw out of his box, then put his paw back in and layed down
again.  This morning when I fed him and scooped out his litter box, he looked 
out the cage door with interest.  Maybe he'll come out today.  It really
bothers me to have him in a cage all the time!

He's so funny, he doesn't lash out at me when he's mad.  He kinda throws his
body around and stamps his paws (claws out) down.  It's a riot!!!

Laura

    Well I picked up my little girl (Magic) from the vet last night after
    her spaying. I didn't know what to expect since I have never been
    through this before. 
    
    I got to the vet and they said everything went fine. I thought good,
    first hurdle passed. The vet assistant went to the kennel area to put
    Magic in her carry kennel. After about three minutes she came back and
    said she needed my help. 
    
    I went to the kennel area and saw her for the first time since the
    surgery. She was in the corner of the kennel huddled in a ball, eyes
    glazed over, fur kind of matted, whining at the top of her lungs. My
    emotions immediately kicked in. I thought to myself what have we done
    to you poor kitty. Logically I knew it had to be done, but just looking
    at her made me melt. After a minute or two of coaxing, combined with
    too many hisses and growls, I got her into the carry kennel. 
    
    When we got home I opened the carry kennel and she slooowly stumbled
    out. She did not want anything to do with me. She found a spot on the
    carpet, and if i got within two feet she slooowly moved to another spot 
    with an occasional hiss or growl. I thought great she hates me, but
    then I decided to put some food out for her and leave her alone until I
    went to bed. She did not eat any food.
    
    My wife got home about 10pm and we decided we would keep her upstairs
    in our bedroom until she heals. So we moved the carrier, food, and
    litter box up stairs and I showed Magic where they were. She was still
    pretty groggy, and my wife had the same emotions hit her that hit me. 
    I put her in the carrier (door open) and she went to sleep.
    
    At about three in the morning I heard something. I looked and saw Magic
    climb (and I do mean climb not jump!) into our bed to lay with us. She
    walked up to me and she was purring!! Well she layed down and slept the
    rest of the night with us.
    
    This morning she seems to be on the road to recovery. She started out
    eating some dry food out of my hand and then I got some wet and she
    gobbled it up. I will have to see how she is tonight when I get home.
    
    
    
    Greg
    
    PS. - I was really suprised how my emotions were affected by this
    experience. I mean it is a routine procedure and she is going to be
    fine.  I really thought I would be more level headed. I guess you learn
    things about yourself in different ways.
    
    
    

    Greg,
    
     You were only reacting like a worried Dad! It's pretty upsetting to
    see that for the first time. I think part of the hissing, growling
    reaction was because she KNEW she wasn't in control of herself, and it
    was a defense reaction. Once the groggies wore off, she was still
    moving pretty slow, but at least she felt more in control, and
    remembered that she still loves you!
    
     Glad all went well with your little girl! Give her gentle hugs from me
    tonight.
    
    Love,
    
     Yonee

    they wouldn't let me take Abel home the first night after her spaying,
    but when I went to get Cain, they let me hold her for a while, and all
    she did was sleep in my arms - total limp, and only looked around when
    you moved her...
    
    they said sometimes the anesthetic causes them to see things, so maybe
    Magic was *really* tripped out afterwards...
    
    Abel was back to normal in two days (and I think even more hyper than
    before...) so it wears off pretty quick
    
    p & Cain & Abel

    Well Magic was much better last night than the the night before. My
    wife got home first and found her at the bottom of the stairs waiting
    for her to open the door!  We don't know she got around the barricade
    we had set up (we didn't want her climbing stairs yet).  
    
    It looks like her appetite is back, but I have noticed her drinking
    more than normal and licking her lips. She didn't do this before the
    surgery. Is this normal?  My thinking is she may be a little dehydrated
    from the operation. I will watch it closely.
    
    She still is moving slower than normal, but she is alert and her eyes
    look much better. She decided to sleep with us again, that is until my
    tossing and turning bothered her.
    
    
    Greg 

    Devin has been do something that we find very funny.  We have a down
    comforter on the bed.  Devin will pounce on it and slide along with his
    front paws extended.  Bob calls it "surfing".  (We are not under the
    comforter when Devin is doing this.)  Devin discovered the monogram at
    the top of the comforter and he tapped it with his paw, went surfing,
    pounced back to the monogram, tapped it, pounced to another area and
    surfed.  Bob and I just watched and laughed.
    
    Steffi

    Sounds like a good new form of aerobic exercise, Steffi!  Surf tapping.

    Why do cats choose 2am to go exploring and get stuck on top of your
    wardrobe?
    
    Jimmy sounded like a soul in torment this morning - I'd moved a chair,
    you see.

	Talking about the 2.00am walk-abouts.......

	Last night Yoda and Chalkie were asleep on the same settee - well as far
	as you could get at opposite ends - but this is a major step forwards 
	for the newcommer and the scaredy cat.


	So, when I went to bed, I decided I'd let them stay in the front room. I
	usually take the cats out and close the door - all my good stuff is in
	the front room!

	This morning I came down to find bird feathers everywhere, and a
	couple of wings, and some innards........over the carpet, settee, and 
	anything else you can think of!

	I can see Cider now - oh look, she's gone soft over those two, now's
	my chance to initiate the front room....I might even get her to put the
	blame on them......I'll bring in a bird and we can all have a party
	playing with it, and chasing the feathers everywhere!

	That's a life each they've just lost!     :-)

	Heather

    They're just reminding you why you initiated the ban in the first
    place.. in case you'd forgotten!
    
    Rosie did that once. She did the killing (Jim just can't get the hang
    of catching birds) and she and Jimmy had a wonderful time while I was
    at work. I came home to a house ankle-deep in feathers - they couldn't
    have done better if they'd plucked it.
    
    I reckon you're well on the way if those two are sleeping in the same
    room. Especially if they were all partners in crime!
                                                        

>    I reckon you're well on the way if those two are sleeping in the same
>    room. Especially if they were all partners in crime!
 
	Now why does this make me feel as if I want to lock up the house?
                                                       
	A two edged sword.....they're getting on so well together they gang
	up to trash the place.

	Maybe I'll write them begging letters!

	Heather

    I got a nice flashlight (4D cell maglight - really bright) for
    Christmas.  My cats almost like it more than I do.
    
    When I adjust the focus to make a dark center surrounded by the
    brighter light, my cats go nuts trying to get it.
    
    They will chase it around, jump at it on the walls, watch it on the
    ceiling, and take turns going after it.  It is a riot - they go *all
    out* after the light.  This is the only "toy" that they consistently
    play with (ok ping pong balls are a big favorate, but they seem to hide
    a lot)
    
    It works even better at night, and it is darker in my apartment.
    Now they even go after reflected sunlight.... 

    .486  Flashlight is my cats' favorite game....but just wait until the
    electricity goes out and you need to use the flashlight for its
    intended purpose.  It can get difficult walking down a dark hallway
    with a couple of cats trying to catch the light.
    
    NancyS

    
    
    	Kitty TV...both ways!
    
    	I caught the last half of a show on Channel 11 last night.	
    	(it was on late)  I've seen it before but still don't know
    	what the name of the show is. 
    
    	Anyway, it's a story on cats.  How momma cats train their
    	kittens to hunt, domestic kitties with a baboon...really
    	cute stories (with lots of babies!!)
    
    	The really interesting thing though was to watch Sasha.
    	She was sitting up at first, on the couch engrossed with
    	watching this cat on TV and listening to the meows.  Then
    	she laid down, put her head on her paws.  I thought she was
    	going to go to sleep....nope!  She continued to watch the
    	show for at least the next 15 minutes.  Then there was a lot
    	of meowing going on, she got up off the couch, and parked
    	herself right in front of the TV, just listening.
    
    	I was having more fun watching her than watching the show.  =)
    
    	JJ

    JJ,
    
    My cats and I watched that too!  It was pretty informative, but I don't
    remember the name either.
    

Me too!  When they had the scene with the kitty mating, my guys all perked
up. We were all on the couch together, and one of my guys hopped down and
started staring at the screen.  (Kitty x-rated videos?).  Another went behind
the TV and then jumped up on top of the entertainment center looking for
those noisy kitties.  It was a riot.

-Patrick and the boys (Chester, Farley, and Jeremiah)

    
    
    	I see I'm not the only night owl in here......  =)
    

    
    
    	The same show was on here in New Mexico - public tv - a special
    	that actually ran a year or so ago... Either Nature or Nova....
    	
    	My cat Phoebe sat right in her chair and watched... until the
    	last (boring to her) 5 minutes or so.
    
    	h

    My Feendoonie watches a lot of the nature programs, Especially when
    there are birds on! ;-) She used to attack the TV when she was younger!
    ;-) When kitty programs are on though, she couldn't care less. Even
    when they are meowing! Strange. She'd rather watch a deer or a buffalo
    than a cat! Competition? She does watch the BIG cats though. I guess
    since they don't meow, she doesn't include them in the ignore
    department! ;-)
    
    Just can't figure them out....
    
    Yonee (who hopes she's back in here regularly for a while!)

    
    
    	My friend Mike has a kitty named Goober (he looks like a 
    	Russian Blue) and he says that Goob goes absolutely nuts
    	when Spot - Data's cat on Star Trek: TNG comes on.  No other
    	cat on TV does it, just Spot.  He runs around the TV trying to
    	find him, jumps on top of the TV and hangs over the edge batting
    	at Spot on the scream.....Mikie just sits back and laughs like
    	crazy.  =)
    

        My big Van Gogh never seems to amaze me.  Here is a kitty who
        hated humans...but loved all other cats.   But now he has come
        to trust all humans...and hate all other cats.
    
        Van Gogh has NO fear of anything...including the vaccuum
        cleaner....so yesterday VG let us vaccuum his entire body
        while he sat there an purred his head off!!!  We had the
        vaccuum on full force with no attachements...and his skin
        was even being sucked in!!!   what a nut...
    
        Sandy

    My Mum was growing lots of bulbs for the spring - you know, amarylis,
    hyaciths, etc - in her washroom.
    
    She found them this morning with the tips all neatly nipped off.
    Micky, kitten from hell, strikes again!
           

    
    This wasn't today, the pepper plants are gone for many months now, but
    my little darlings used to pull the plants out of their pots on the
    window sills and deposit them (pots and plants) on the floor.  This gives
    them too much credit I'm sure, but it was almost as if they knew that the
    drainage pebbles down in the bottom made great toys to bat around...
    
    len (who's learning to deal with Rocky's recent obsession with stealing
    my socks).
    

    I've learned to close my sock drawer *all the way*, because if it is
    open even a little bit, they will be in there after the socks...
    Sometimes they will get them out of the dirty clothes basket.
    it is funny to see these little (when they were younger) kittens
    carrying around a pair of long tube socks...
    
    ...until they start chewing holes in them...
    
    p (who's learning to deal with having holes in his ski socks:-})

    
    	Last night Lilac was exploring in the kitchen and found that
    	the lazy-susan (lower cabinet were the pot and pans are stored)
    	was open slightly. She ventured in to explore ....
    	Well since the lazy-susan rotates, it closed behind her, and in
    	her siamese way she wanted out......
    
    	After letting her out she ran to the living room and jumped in
    	her wicker basket. 
    
    	I got out the "Feather" toy and it was one mighty leap out
    	to attack the "Feather".
    
    
    	Regarding the socks..... I have determined that the kitties
    	know were all the missing socks go......
    
    	Mike

    Our little female siamese seal point Mai Buri has a furry mouse toy
    that she carries with her from room to room.  If she's in the kitchen
    where her food and water bowls are, she will first drop the mouse toy
    in the water, and then drop it in the food to get it all coated.
    Every so often, Mai Buri will bring the mouse toy to either my wife or
    I, drop it on our feet, give one foot a little nip, and look up at us
    and meow impatiently.  This is her way of saying "here I am with my
    toy and I'm ready to play NOW, so hurry up and throw it so I can chase
    it."
    
    This morning, she proffered me the furry mouse toy, drenched from the
    water bowl and coated with kitty crunchies, dropped it on my bare foot
    as I was standing at the bathroom sink shaving, gave me a healthy
    little bite, and meowed with great impertinence.  I tossed the mouse
    toy (crunchies flying everywhere and spraying water all over the
    mirror) and Mai Buri did a complete back flip with full twist, caught
    the mouse toy neatly in her mouth, then settled in to give it hell
    with her back feet, stopping every now and then to lick it and eat a
    crunchie or two.
    
    Those kitties are too much!!
    
    Carl

    Cain and Abel would just destroy the mouse and eat it in the process. 
    They wouldn't bother with the double dunking process.
    :-)

    My friend phoned me just now says that his cat was blissfully sleeping
    on the settee whilst he was watching the TV. During the programme, a
    wolf howled. The cat reacted as though a 2000 volt charge had gone
    through the settee, leaping into the air and bolting up the stairs as
    though the said wolf was snapping at his heels!

    Smokey has her own sock to wear. Not socks, only one on the left hind
    paw, for she must be treated with chlorocyde each evening, not letting
    her to lock it off for at least half an hour. Ever tried to 'sock' a
    cat? We both (Sue & me) were bleeding, cat was grinning, and sock was
    in no secs off. NOW the sock has rubber strings, doubleknotted just
    over her ancle. She DOES manage to get rid of it (of course), but it
    takes her the mentioned half an hour to get it off, so we have the
    solution!
    
    Nat
    
    PS
    re.495 Be careful with vacuuming, it can be dangerous to cats skin, and
    eyes too. And ears, they hear much better than we...
    re.500 I laughed myself to death. Printed and circulate the story with
    your kind editorial permission...

    
    On socks - the cats (at 10 months, they're no longer kittens, I look
    at pictures of how tiny they were when I got them and wonder, can this
    have only been *months* ago?) have their own "retired" socks to play
    with, but the real thing is always better.  I keep the sock drawer
    closed (it's also where the sparkle wands and spare feather fliers are
    kept), but I can only put one sock on at a time, and while I'm so
    occupied, Rocky snatches the other one and drags it away.  And I can't
    distract him with one of his own play socks, they're just not
    interesting after they've been killed a few times.
    
    len.
    

    Brutus just loves to lay in the sink while I put on my makeup and dry
    my hair in the mornings.  He just lays there, (he's quite large, and
    the sink is a typical bathroom size, so he sort of oozes out of it in
    places : ) purring his head off.  Lately he has decided that AS SOON as
    I take the cap off my moisturizer bottle, he MUST smack it off the sink
    and onto the floor. He doesn't even MOVE to do this, just extends the
    nearest paw and WHOMP, off it goes.  We have a claw-footed tub, so it
    never fails that the cap will roll all the way under the tub. Wise
    guy...
    Sarah  

    RE .502  
    
    I fell asleep on the sofa last night while the news was on, and Poppy
    climbed on top of me to snooze. I woke up when I felt her body tense
    up, and she stood up on me and "poofed" (you know, arched back, puffy
    tail). There was a story on the news about wolf-dog hybrids, and
    she was really freaked out by the wolves howling. She got down and went
    to sit in front of the TV until it was over. 
    
    When she was convinced all was safe, she went back to sleep. 
    
    Kate
    

    The other night, 5 minutes after I'd put my daughter to bed, a Vicious
    Plastic Grocery Bag ambushed Skrufy, wrapping itself around his neck
    and making hideous crackly threatening noises as it ballooned out
    behind the poor guy.  He ricocheted around the house for a good five
    minutes, with me in ineffectual pursuit; Alex trailed me and Veto did
    his best to trip us all up.  Finally Skruf ran under Alex's bed, so I
    closed the door to contain any further mad dashes.  When I lifted the
    dust ruffle, Skruf moved to the other side of under-the-bed, looking
    distinctly uncomfortable and embarrassed, so I gave him a minute and
    walked around slowly, talking soothingly.  This time he let me lift the
    dust ruffle and perform a grocery-bag-ectomy....
    
    Veto has a toilet fixation.  His mad dashes are not in escape but in
    pursuit - of the water in flush mode.  He has *broken into the
    bathroom* on me twice; he's not bright enough to have developed a real
    technique with the doorknob, he just hurls himself at the door/knob/
    woodwork repeatedly until he hits it right or the occupant comes out;
    he's got me trained to leave the light on til the end of the "show" 
    :-}
    
    Leslie

    RE:  .503
    
    You didn't have to ask.  Permission cheerfully granted!
    
    Carl

HI..........This is Carol Weston.  TEMPITH RETURNITH!  I know Sandy and a few of
the old FELINERS that are left.

The last I spoke here (in another account through my husband Steve Weston) was
the beginning of Nov. '93.  I had lost our Scruffy and told of our loss of
Zeebee.  Then I sent our Christmas '93 wishes and off to the unemployed again.

Well I've been back for 1 month now, here in Acton.

I have left at home DOT (black all black, with a white DOT on his chest) and
our new one Smuck.  Black and White TUX.  He will be a year old next month.

Last nite --- to keep in line with this subject, they ran, jump, rumbled with
each other half the nite.  Now I know cats get wired cause of impending storms,
but this was too much.  I got up 5 times to clap my hands and speak firmly to
them.  (HA! that must of looked great to them!).

They were cooing like.  This is the first time I have had two males.  Both
neutered, Smucky done a month and a half ago.  Is this normal for two males to
coo at each other and rassle around?  It's funny sounding.  But lack of sleep
wasn't funny.

**** Just a note:  Smucky was tested at his neutering.  He was a stray, one of
many I've been through as some of you know.  We've had him since, October '93. 
He has Feline Leukimia and FIV.  We choose not to put him to sleep and take a
chance with Dot.  They are both very healthy and we hope this will remain the
same for a long time.

Carol Weston

    re -1
    Thanks. Several people run around DEC HU with tears in their eyes.
    For laughter, of course...
    
    Nat

    Perhaps one of you can explain this bizarre feline behavior to me. I 
    have faith in you guys. 
    
    Poppy has developed a fixation with electrical outlets. This started a 
    few weeks ago when she was sleeping on the end table under the lamp.
    The table is next to the baseboard heat, and she likes to stretch her
    paws down between the table and the wall to warm them, while taking
    advantage of the heat from the lamp above. One night, she started
    pawing at the lamp plug, sometimes pressing on it so hard the light
    would go on and off (Morse code, we figured). She's kept that up ever
    since. 
    
    In the last week or so, she's started staring into the outlets,
    occasionally sniffing and pawing at them. The whole time I was getting
    ready for work this morning, she was staring into the outlet in the
    family room. My daughter found her later trying scratching at the
    outlet cover. She was doing the same thing last night, just staring
    at the outlet.  
    
    Now, I'm used to weird cat behavior, but this is really strange. My
    husband thinks she's hearing the voice of Thomas Edison. Any other
    ideas? 
    
    Kate
                   

    perhaps some smell is coming in through the outlet, and she is trying
    to get it.

    It could be one of two things.....mice in the walls hanging out around
    the outlet spaces or air coming in from outside.....At the beginning of
    the winter before I had someone professional come in, my cats used to
    stair at certain places in the wall where they could hear the mice
    hanging out....I could even hear them, but they can smell them too...
    
    also, I've been told that air can come inside through the outlets...you
    might want to try to put those outlet insulator behind each
    outlet...see if anything changes....they are cheap...cheap....
    
    cats are funny....
    
    michele (precious, princey, pookie, pepper and pickles)

    
    You might want to buy some of those child safety outlet plugs,
    to keep your cat from becoming a crispy critter!
    
    

    Did anyone (or anyone's cat) watch the PBS special on Tigers and
    Leopards last night?  I know a lot of you out there have cats that
    watch TV but ours (Ashley) just started recently and it's usually the
    nature show.  She's go my husband and I hooked too.  But the funniest
    thing was that last night they had a brief intermission and she went
    into the kitchen and had a snack then came back for the second half
    and didn't move for the rest of the show.  The next thing you know she
    is going to ask for the remote control!!  We thought it was pretty
    funny but I guess you had to be there.
    
    Susan.

    If you guessed "dead mousie in the wall" as the reason Poppy was
    staring at the outlets, you're a winner. Phew, does it smell! I guess
    she could smell it before we could and probably could hear it in there. 
    
    Now that the smell is really ripe, she's lost interest.
    
    kate
    

    This happened about a month ago. Magic, my all black kitty likes to
    play with a cat toy that has a string with a felt man on the end
    (really just a bunch of felt circles sewn together with a white ball
    glued to the end). 

    Well late one night I was downstairs getting a glass of water out of
    the fridge. I see Magic sitting in the stairs to the basement with a 11
    inch string following her. It's pretty dark and my contacts are kind of
    foggy so I go up to her to untangle it from her tail. Of course, like
    any cat she decides, you won't be touching me unless I want you to, and
    hurries into the living room.  The string is following her every step
    of the way.

    I decide we are going to do this my way (for once) this time, and chase
    her into the dark living room.  I spot her green eyes in the corner and
    sneak up and grab her. I pick her up and grab onto the string. It was
    wet and wasn't wrapped in her tail, it was coming out her rear! The
    last inch came out as I picked her up/grabbed the string.  Needless to
    say I was in shock (mostly laughing).

    I found the "felt man" the next morning (it had not been eaten) with
    about 2 inches of string on it. Apparently  Magic had found the toy
    chewed through the string and eaten 12 inches of string! She seems no
    worse for the wear. 

    The following weekend we left town, so we had my brother-in-law cat
    sit.  My wife made up a list of things to do (since he doesn't have
    cats). The list went like:

    1. feed twice a day
    .
    .
    .
    5. Pull all trailing strings out of cat's butt.

    We all had a laugh with this one.


    Greg

    Good story... and good it ended up good!
    Please take care. I knew a kitty who died on eating string and getting
    heavy inside problems on which she died - the vet tried to save her but
    it vain.
    
    I never let strings or the like around when I leave. Better to be safe.
    
    Nat

    Greg...you have one lucky kitty.   Most cats could not pass the
    string on their own because it gets tangled in the intestines.
    Most cats would have to have surgery to remove it!!!
    
    Thank god for happy endings...
    
    Sandy

    One of the funniest notes I ever read was about some poor little kitty
    who had ingested some type of string and needed urgent care...no,
    that's not the funny part!  The kitty did pass the string and the
    owner, in an effort to figure out what the kitty ate asked the vet what
    colour the string was.  The vet, who must have thought this guy was
    nuts, answered with the only answer possible..."It was brown"!!  Still
    makes me laugh....
    
    Mary

    My oldest of five cats eats strings or anything resembling it.  I need
    to make sure not to leave any string, ribbon, elastics, etc laying
    around anywhere.  I have to hid the toy that has the feathers on the
    end because they chew the string.  and she eats its tooo....i'm not
    sure why they have such a fascination with that....
    
    I guess i've pretty lucky that i haven't had to pull anything
    out...they usually pass right through and I find them in the
    litterbox.....
    
    michele

    We had a British Cream who one day was found with cassette tape
    trailing from his rear end. The vet decided it was best to operate to
    try and remove the stuff, and on examining the intestines (or other
    gungy bits) he found several lesions in the gut. These apparently
    weren't caused by the tape but it was an early stage of an almost
    definitely life threatening condition. The vet was able to operate on
    them and save Creamy's life, but wasn't he lucky to have swallowed the
    tape in the first place!
    
    Andy

    Last night, Bob and I watched in astonishment as Devin pulled a spear
    of asparagus from the serving plate and just sat there and ate it all up 
    in a minute.  Bob said, "As if it isn't enough that his poops smell..." 
    
    Devin is quite shameless when it comes to food. 8)
    
    Steffi

    
    
    Domingo has discovered that he can jump directly from the top of my
    dresser to my bed -- there's about 4 feet separating them.  Of course
    he only likes to do this in the middle of the night when I'm sleeping
    and insists on landing on me.
    
    He's also gotten to where, if he wants attention (which seems to be
    always) he will sneak up on me and touch my face with his paw.  It's so
    cute.  I'd love to have a picture of him doing it.
    
        Dom's Dad  (I wov my baby!!!!  8-)  )
    
    

    
    
    	My Sasha does the paw to the face thing too.  When she's
    	sitting in my lap, if I'm not stroking her head or something
    	she'll reach up and touch my face as if say "Mom, down here!"
    
    	JJ

          I've been having an interesting situation develop recently with
    my year old males. Binky a black/white cat with a cry like a siamese
    will cry continually to play or be picked up. So last night when he met 
    me at the door I picked him up. As he melted into my arms Dustbuster
    lept from the back of the sofa onto my shoulders and started to
    headbutt the side of my head. Boy does her ever get jealous when I'm
    petting or doing anything with his brother :-) luckily I recently
    learned how to trim his claws so he doesn't do too much damage.
           We've also discovered recently that they like helium baloons
    with string attached to them. Dustbuster will run from one room to the
    other with the string in his mouth. Then he'll stop and turn around to
    watch the baloon rise back up to the ceiling. You have to see it to
    appreciate how funny it really is.
    
    
    bob

    Two very painful experiences got Rosie banned from my brother's bedroom
    when he was living with me.
    
    The first was the night that she leapt from the top of the wardrobe
    (closet?) right onto his stomach - he's rather on the large side and
    was considerably winded.
    
    The second was due to Rosie's love of sleeping IN the bed, right next
    to the co-occupant's stomach, where it is nice and warm. Perhaps she
    thought my brother was going to turn over onto her, but she suddenly
    put out her claws right where my brother least wanted them!!!

    This note is from Bob.
    
    While I was in the family room this morning, Lizette was fast asleep on
    the top of the VCR.  Marnie came into the room and decided that he
    wanted up on the window sill behind the VCR.  He leapt up to the sofa
    and stepped onto the lamp/telephone table, but for reasons of his own
    decided that his footing was not sure enough at the edge of the table
    to leap onto the window ledge.  I saw him then measuring the VCR for a
    spot to jump to from the arm of the sofa, but as I said Lizette was
    fast asleep, sprawled over virtually all of the front half of the VCR. 
    Nevertheless, Marnie decided that there was a spot of about one square
    inch open that he could leap to.  However, as I watched him measure his
    jump, the thought flashed through my mind that he didn't seem to have
    enoughroom to jump to the VCR and then onto the window sill without
    landing on Lizette.  Sure enough, only one of his paws landed on this
    intsy bitsy teeny weeny landing area, and the other three paws landed
    smack dab on Lizette.  Marnie continued in virtually an uninterrupted
    motion to jump onto the window sill as Lizette awaoke with a start and
    immediately leapt to the window sill to give chase to this rude being
    who had so thoughtlessly awakened her from her mid morning slumber. 
    She sniffed the rear and found that it was Marnie, and gave me a look
    that said, "oh it's only Marnie, so it's OK."  She then proceeded to
    lay down again on the VCR.  Marnie looked first at Lizette, and then me
    with a look that as much as said "gee, did something happen?"  And,
    once again Mr. Adorable, The Personality Kid, the cutest guy in the
    neighborhood, got away with something, that had it be Devin or Misty
    would have started WWIII.  When it comes to Marnie everybody, furry
    people and two legged people, just pass off whatever he does with a
    shrug that says "That's Marnie."
    
    Steffi 
    

    re -1 :-)
    
    Rosie deliberately does this - waits until Jimmy is curled up and fast
    asleep, then POUNCES on him. She often circles round and round the
    armchair and jumps up at him - his eyes and ears are twitching
    nervously as he tries to work out where she is and what she's doing. 
    
    They say that black cats are mischievious.                    

    The Honorable Colonel Sebastian Moran, DROFFC, spent considerable time
    recently staring at me. He'd get up on the table next to my chair and
    stare. Everywhere I looked, there he was staring at me. Suddenly, I
    developed an uncontrolable urge to go out and buy a cat condo. I put it
    in the bathroom (no idea why, but that is where I felt it belonged). It
    has a trackball game around the top of it, so when I'm in there not
    doing much of anything useful (according to the Colonel), I can push
    the ball around to be swatted. 
    
    I have a distinct feeling I'm being manipulated.
    
    Sari

    Sari,
    
     That 'urge' to go buy a new kitty condo, was something you had
    absolutely no control over! All that staring was The Colonel using
    kitty ESP to let you know you WERE going to buy him a kitty condo, and
    it WILL go in the bathroom! ;-)
    
     Of course they allow us th THINK it was our own idea, but most kitty
    people know better!
    
     Thanks for the story! My regards to The Colonel also!
    
     Love,
    
     Yonee

    ...and hands up anyone who has ever got up, opened the door and then 
    completely forgotten what they were going to do. All becomes clear when 
    kitty strolls through the open door.

    Please help a poor to-be-manipulated kitty-owned person.
    Smokey stares too. Often. Now I know what to do: buy her a condo.
    But PLEASE, i found it in no distionary.
    
    WHAT ON EARTH IS A CONDO? The only word I found which spells the like,
    is *not* useful for cats, I think...   :)
    
    Nat, stared at

    A kitty condo is, usually, a cylindrical (pardon the spelling) object
    either of plastic or wood. It is generally covered with carpeting. The
    idea is, the cat can get in it or on it and have a little place of
    their own to hide or nap. The one I bought is plastic, with a nice
    piece of carpet glued to the side for scratching purposes. It has a
    wire kitty teaser toy coming out the top and a trackball game around
    the upper perimeter. (deep groove with a ball in it that rolls around
    when pushed by Mom or swatted at by the Colonel.) Most kitty condos
    resemble footstools. Some are very tall and very elaborate and very
    expensive. Some have platforms and elaborate tunnels. The Colonel does
    not know about these and I would appreciate it if no one told him.
    
    Sari
    

    The Colonel was at his best last night. My older St.Bernard was taken
    seriously ill this weekend. The justly praised Dr.Moss of Central
    Animal Hospital had to come out to the house as I thought Hammy was
    dying. We got him into the hospital and it turned out not to be his
    heart, which he's had some problems with. It was a very nasty case of
    gastric upset. The death scene of Camille for a gastric upset.
    Actually, he was quite ill for 2 days and still isn't himself. But he
    was able to come home yesterday. My little mutt and the other Saint
    sniffed him and kissed him and went about their business. Hammy lay
    down on his favorite rug and was busy ignoring me, so I'd feel guilty
    for abandoning him in the hospital. The Colonel went over to him and
    proceeded to groom him. An 11 pound cat grooming a 162 pound St.
    Bernard. He did about a square foot of Hammy's side before he realized
    he had pressing business elsewhere. Still, it was a lovely gesture.
    
    Dr. Moss was worried that Hammy was too cramped in the cage, so she put
    him in a nice room with their blood donor cats for company. Hammy loves
    cats and I understand they all got along very well. She assures me he
    was loved and patted and walked and fed canned food (which he's never
    heard of) and lived in luxury for two + days. Hammy maintains he was
    abused, neglected and I must suffer for it. The Colonel seems to be
    buying the story as he slept next to him all night. My pets are
    conspiring against me.
    
    Sari

    Nat,
    
     Apologies for assuming everyone in the notes file knew what was meant
    by 'kitty condo'! Usually, when one refers to a 'condo' for kitties,
    it means a GIANT or moderately giant scratching post, with neat
    places to climb, sleep, play and scratch. Sometimes there is an actual
    small'room' at the top or in the middle, which I think is what really
    gave them the name condo. 
    
     As was said, the perches are usually carpet covered, and the posts can
    either be real tree branches, or posts covered in sisal rope, or
    carpeting, depending on the brand bought.
    
     Thay can be VERY expensive, but a good one will last for a long time,
    and will still be cheaper than replacing your entire furniture set
    every few years! ;-)
    
     Hope this helps! Maybe you could try staring back? ;-)
    
     Love,
    
     Yonee
                                

    While we're on the subject of staring, I figured I'd mention what
    Feendoonie does to me, and what I do back.
    
    She sits on the floor in front on my chair in the living room, and
    stares at me, trying to put the thought in my mind that the cat NEEDS a
    cookie! ;-) 
    
    What I like to do, is move my leg or foot, or some part of me, in front
    of her staring little face, so I can't see her. This will ast a few
    seconds, and then she will crane her neck around said body part, in
    order to be able to stare me in the eye again! If I move my leg again,
    she moves her head again. If I keep it up, she will eventually jump in
    my lap with a disgusted chirp, and stare me down while planted in my
    lap!
    
    She cracks me up, but sometimes she's just too smart for me! 8-)
    
    Yonee

Thanks, now I am fully trained. To tell the truth, Smokey *has* a condo, 
speak the whole flat of mine. Lying post favorited: Cat on top of 200 watt
musicbox on top of wardrobe. (Cat at 3 metres hight, staring down...)
She ears Bach or Jimi Hendrix, those are her favorites.

Herewith I promise NOT to tell the Honorable Colonel Sebastian Moran, DROFFC, 
about expencive condos.

Nat

(^:

    I'm sorry, but I have to laugh, Nat.(-:  To think of you looking up
    "condo" in the dictionary and coming across the closest word and
    KNOWING they aren't used for cats!  Bahahahaha!!  Did the word have an
    "m" on the end??
    
    I'm glad that it's been explained, and sorry we assumed that everyone
    would know.  
    
    Holly
    

And just to add to the lesson on what condo means - its actually slang,
shortened from the word condominium.  I think condominium is a fairly new 
word in American English,  It refers to a style of housing - row houses, 
town houses, or garden style apartments where the individual units are
owned by individuals and the land and public parts of the buildings are
owned in common by the condominium association to which all the unit owners
belong.  I did find the word in my dictionary and it comes from con or com 
(in common or joint) + dominium (Latin for property).  Probably because of
the alliteration of the "k" sound, it was used as a name for those structures 
being built for cats to climb on, play in, and hide in.

My elderly grandmother, who is not very intellectual, and has not kept up 
with news, current events, and or things outside her small circle of life 
at all, sent me a letter addressed very embarassingly to Heritage Village 
Condoms when I had first moved there.  After that I made sure that all my 
return addresses just had the apartment number and street name, not the 
condominium name so that she would use that address and not make the same 
mistake again!

Leslie

    My Princey has a sweet tooth.  About every other day, I get home to
    find a chocolate lollipop that I have in a candy jar pulled out and in
    the middle of the floor......she hasn't opened it yet....but she's sure
    as hell trying...
    
    michele

    Last Saturday I came home about 7pm and pulled my car into the alley
    Garage. I parked the car and grabbed some garbage to throw away. I
    looked down the alley and see this little black kitty about a hundred
    yards away trotting toward me. I say "hear kitty, kitty" seeing if I
    can get her close enough to give a pat on the head. Well she quickens
    the pace, and as she gets closer I am thinking, hey this looks a lot
    like Magic my (indoor only) little black kitty. 
    
    She came right up to me and jumped into my arms, and of course it was
    Magic.  She must have gotten out earier in the day when we had someone
    over to work on the house.  I bring her in and ask my wife if she
    noticed that Magic was missing.  She said she was kind of wondering
    because she hadn't seen her in a while.
    
    The silver lining to this is she came home (un hurt and un stressed) at
    all.  We have been worried that since she was a stray from the
    neighborhood, if she got out she may not come back.  I guess she knows
    where to get spoiled....
    
    
    Greg

    Greg...all strays come back...believe me...they know when they
    have a good thing going!!!  
    
    Glad to see Magic is fine...
    
    Sandy

    Fast asleep I was yesterday morning when I heard growling outside my
    bedroom door. It gradually seeped into my consciousness that Jimmy was 
    growling and snarling at SOMETHING. 
    "Ignore him." I thought, "He's probably fighting Rosie."
    The row went on for some minutes and finally, when I'd woken up
    completely, I decided to see what on earth was going on.
    I got up, looked out, and a small, black, terrified cat shot past me
    down the stairs, with Jimmy and Rosie hot on its heels. 
    
    Another stray!
    
    Jimmy actually woke my sister up the other night by fighting on the end
    of her bed with one of them. He doesn't mind them coming in, but they
    are absolutely not allowed upstairs when HE'S around!
    My sister wasn't too amused - "Why pick on MY bed? He's YOUR cat!"
    That's probably why - he knows who feeds him!
    
                                                 

    Nat, Once again I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your notes!!
    I had to really laugh at this past discussion about Condo's.
    
    But please, do not think that I always laugh at what you write.  I find
    it extremely interesting to actually read what someone has to say from
    another country, especially with such a different point of view or
    understanding of the language.  You have contribute much to this
    notesfile, thankyou!
    Karen

    You know those little squishy packets of ketchup ;') ???
    
    Well, the little buggers found some on the counter yesterday and had a
    great time biting them full of holes and then running around the whole
    carpeted house with them!!  I wish I had been a fly on the wall for
    that one!
    
    Mom will have to look into a carpet steamer this weekend for sure!
    Karen

    
    Mine got interested in those similar packets of soy sauce one evening
    when I brought home some Chinese takeout.
    
    I "intervened" real quick-like...
    
    len.
    

    You were just lucky you were home!!  Mine were real secret about it and
    PLANNED THE WHOLE THING! I swear.  I still have to laugh.  I actually
    don't imagine it being the little babies, they look like imps, but
    aren't that smart yet.
    
    Cassie and Whitey perhaps, being led by Josette.  Of course Joey would
    never touch the stuff herself.  Just direct the carnage.  She waits for
    mom to come home and forget the loaf of bread either on the counter or
    still in the shopping bag.  Whooossh, goes a loaf of bread down the
    hall!!  Josette has an exreme fondness for bread and pizza crust.  I
    had told her if she had her babies I would have gotten her her very own
    small cheese pizza do with as she wished.  I meant it too!
    Karen

    I just know it wasn't my Tubba! He would NEVER do anything like that!
    ;-) Thanks for that story Karen! It has brightened up a rather long
    depressing day at work. I needed a laugh right now!
    
    Love,
    
    Y

    I know we have all witnessed our little or big wonders eating weird 
    things but, I couldn't believe my eyes unless I saw it myself.
    
    Sneeze always has to see what the humans are eating, anything has to 
    be better than that stuff in the dish.  We were eating a Boboli (that
    plain pizza crust thing you assemble as you see fit) I had fixed just 
    as a cheese pizza and had left a little crust behind.  She decided
    to crunch on it and I expected her to taste and then leave it alone.
    But NOoooo, she started looking for more!  I should have known her
    taste for Italian cuisine would not end at spaghetti alone.
    
    Does Kal-kan have a call in consumer request line?  

    Well he got himself into a place in which he couldn't get out of!
    Poor Tubba, he is always finding something new.  Anyway, he jumped up
    from on top of the vcr to the top of my hutch.  You must realize this
    hutch only has maybe a maximum of 4" clearance from the ceiling. Tubba
    is a huge 15 lb+ cat.  He slithered in as best he could and then just
    hung there with his head hanging over the edge.  Jimmy tried for a
    while to move,push, squeeze and coax him out. Oh no, Tubba wasn't ready
    for that!  He just stayed there unable to move for about 15 minutes. 
    Finally, with a little help (sorta like pushing the behind of a mule)
    Tubba made it back to safety. What next?  (I told you about Ferret
    trying to give birth and breaking water on him, didn't I??)
    What a silly goose!
    Karen

    I also meant to mention, he went in white and came out gray.  I really,
    truly meant to dust up there!

    This weekend Spunky discovered Bumble Bees.  We seem to have quite a
    crop of them this year and he spent the afternoon in the backyard
    leaping, diving, jumping, rolling, and having a great time chasing
    them.  Oh, to be a young cat in Spring!
    
    Dana

    
    
    
    Yesterday a.m. Domingo and I were starting to wake up.  He was on my
    chest, I was sort of lazily petting him.  I evidently touched something
    he didn't want touched.  He indignantly stood up, on my chest, and
    wacked me across the face with his paw.  I'm sure glad I had him
    declawed, or I'd have had one messed up face.  It was sooooooooo funny.
    I also learned, the hard way, that I have to shut my closet door in the
    morning.  He loves to sleep (and leave all sorts of hair) on my
    sweaters on the topmost shelf in the closet.  I'm not even sure how he
    get's up there, but the evidence of him being there is very plain.
    
        Domingo's Dad

    Antics from the newest member of the Gladding clan:
    
    Lily and April, my new Siamese kittens have discovered the joys
    of "tissue fluffing".  Carefully dig into the tissue box, pull
    out 5-6 tissues, run with them in your mouth, chew several times,
    then leave the mutilated tissues where mom and dad are sure to
    find them.  People visiting think we're weird when they see my
    tissue box on the toilet with the opening facing the wall!!
    
    Another sport - discovery of a new litterbox.  Mom buys Cat's Pride
    in the 50 lb. bag, and left the bag open one week.  In the process
    of cleaning out and filling up the boxes with new litter, mom 
    discovers little "gifts" in the new bag.  Well, how are they supposed
    to know it's not a new type of litterbox??  Needless to say, now
    I keep the bag firmly "crimped"!!
    
    Pam

    For years now I've been blaming Carrie every time I come out
    of the shower or walk into the bathroom to find half the roll
    of toilet paper piled up under the roll.  This was always 
    her favorite trick though she usually mutilates it beyond
    use in the process.
    
    Lately I noticed she'd gotten neater as she unrolled it.  It
    seemed to be piled up in a manner that allowed rewinding it
    to the roll if desired.
    
    Yesterday I got out of the shower in time to see Onyx sitting
    in front of the roll and with his left paw methodically pulling
    at the roll and watching it pile up on the floor underneath.
    
    Poor Carrie, she's feeling so wronged these days.  I wouldn't
    be surprised if the other things I'm blaming her for are being
    covered by either Mac or Onyx now.
    
    Jan

    Yes, but perhaps Onyx was watching Carrie and is doing it too!
    Karen

    Carrie isn't so methodical about it though.  She just goes nuts.
    You should have seem him.  It was a riot.  He likes to play 
    with the cardboard centers of the toilet paper roll.  Perhaps
    he was just impatient to get to it.
    
    Jan

    Brutus enjoys predictability in his daily cat life. He does the same
    things, day after day.  This includes his favorite bathroom game, "chase
    the shadow of my own tail".  I'm trying to get dressed, and this giant
    cat is whirling around, chasing his tail's shadow - until yesterday
    morning.  He was spinning so fast that he lost control - crashed and
    burned.  He slammed his head into the bathroom door so hard, I swear he
    almost gave himself a concussion!  Then he turned around and looked at
    me with his airplane-ears (flat out to the side).  He's blaming me! 
    Like I kicked him into the door or something!  Why can't they admit
    they made a mistake?  Why do they always blame the resident humans for
    their misfortunes?  This morning he DID NOT engage in the shadow-chase 
    game.  He still came in to take up valuable vanity space, however...
    Sarah 

    
    
    About 3:00 this morning I heard kitty screams coming from the bathroom. 
    I run in to find Domingo sitting in, and I do mean *in* the toilet.  He
    evidently had been drinking from it again and fell in.  He looked like
    a soaked rat.  He was able to get himself out and then run all over the
    apartment trailing water.  At least he's unusually clean today.
    
        Domingo's Dad

    DD, close that toilet cover then... A smaller cat can even get drown if
    falling in unfortunately.
    
    Wash him to look cleaner - there is advice in the file how. (Do not
    forget full plate mail etc...)
    
    Nat

    That's funny, but what I really want to know is...
    
    Why did he continue to just sit in it?!  I have had it happen when
    someone was in the middle of, ehr using the facilities.  They couldn't
    get out fast enough!
    Karen

    
    
    
    I don't know why he just sat there.  He only jumped out after I'd come
    in to the bathroom to see what the fuss was all about.
    
    As to washing him -- not necessary -- he takes very, very good care of
    himself.  
    
       Domingo's Dad -- father of clean kitty

    	Well its too bad that the Bruins are no longing in the play-offs
    because Navajo loves to watch hockey games....the other night it caught
    his attention but last night it stopped him in his tracks....so much he
    stopped playing with his ball (with a bell in it) watched a bit, then
    there was a break in the play he ran (RAN) to the couch where I was and
    sat on top of it and watched the game over my shoulder....he didn't move, 
    until the period was over. In between periods he went to have a snack and 
    go to the bathroom and then back to the couch for the next period ! too
    unreal....but then the Stand came on and he had to settle for channel
    flipping durning commercals....:')
    
    Chris

    RE: Chris
    
    	If it's Hockey Navajo likes so much, then there's PLENTY
    	more hockey to watch, providing you get ESPN or ESPN2.
    	You've got the conference finals coming up, then the
    	Stanley Cup finals, both can take 7 games to determine
    	a winner.  
    
    	Gilley

    yeah I know but I don't think my wife will buy the idea that Navajo
    really wants to watch the games :') as it was already to much when the
    Bruins were play the Canadians...
    
    but honey, its not me its Navajo's idea !
    :')
    
    I guess tomorrow nite when we're out I'll leave the TV on ESPN for him.
    but I know he'll be on the phone as soon as we leave telling all his
    friends to come over, drink all my beer and watch the game (without me !)
    
    
    Chris

    Last night I went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.  I'm sorry to
    tell you that I had left the cover off the butter dish.  There was Molly
    standing on the table lapping up butter with gusto.  Meanwhile Greta
    sat on a chair watching (& waiting?).  I have very naughty kitties.
    
    Cheryl