My two cats aren't going to rule the house any more.

Good luck with that

Go fuck yourself.

OP, you'll always just be the live-in help, capice?

Nope, R3. One of them is sitting here staring at me as I type. I won't give in and his tactics no longer work on me.

OP don't be mean to the kitties!

They’ve conquered you before and they’ll do it again.

I love them and won't be mean to them, but I refuse to cave to their demands, cater, and kowtow to them, R5.

This is why I'll never understand cat people.

They've never been able to convince me of the pros of having cats. When I'm in their homes with the cats, they all say - oh look, the cat is doing this, isn't it cute?

Usually - no, it isn't and it's nothing special. It's like twisting the world around to try and find love from something that will never give it to you.

I live to spoil my kitties.

WHAT-evah! WHAT-evah! It's mah litter box, I can do what I want!

I trained mine not to meow for attention. She gets attention if she comes up purring and looking cute and waits patiently but not if she meows.

"Enough is enough"

Honey, we ain't even started

You have been warned..

OP what are they doing?

R8 agreed, those things are vicious.

Sure, OP

NEXT.

Why are you being so negative?

Well, they're pretty spoiled, R13, and one of their favourite things is going out to the gazebo. I don't mind taking them out there, but then they get out there, they want to go back to the house right away. So, I take them back to the house, and as soon as I get them in the door, they're meowing to head back out to the gazebo. If I force them to just stay in the gazebo, they meow like crazy and paw at the door - and that's just the start of their antics.

R8 most cats act completely differently around people who aren't their owners, especially if they're strangers. My cats run and hide if anyone comes to the door. But when they're alone with me the put on a show every minute of the day. Their daily nap time from 12:30-6:00 PM is the sweetest thing I've ever seen. No one gets to see that but me.

I just let my cats do what the feel is best as long as it doesn't endanger them. I feel like cats are the closest thing to the divine on earth and we're their caretakers.

OP will be dead by nightfall. I'd ask for your stuff, OP, but I'm sure it's covered in fur and cat piss so no thanks

My 3 kitties Myrtle, & her children Millie and Billy had a massive once in a lifetime brawl a few nights ago. It was caused by an accident Billy created. Myrtle and Millie were sitting on the bedside table looking out the window (I was in bed on the laptop). Billy came in and decided he wanted to hop up on the table too. Normally he would jump on the bed first and then just hop over onto the table, but this time he decided to jump directly from the hard wood floor. I think his feet slid out from under him and he didn't make it high enough and he instinctively grabbed out, claws fully extended, to catch onto something. Unfortunately what he caught onto was his mother's back. What then ensued scared the crap out of me. Myrtle immediately attacked Billy with such ferocity that they all three fell off the table onto the floor and rolled around on the floor making the most godawful screeching sounds imaginable. I thought Myrtle and Millie were going to kill Billy. Once I finally got them separated I picked poor Billy up (poor little boy was scared to death) and he had burst a blood vessel in his right eye and his eyeball had filled up with blood. I locked Myrtle and Millie out of the room while I consoled Billy for about an hour. Then I let them back in and all was okay again. They all got up on the bed with me and cuddled up with each other like nothing ever happened. I was set to take Billy to the vet the next day but by morning the blood spot had decreased. In 3 days his eye was back to normal.

Contrary to popular belief kitties don't hold grudges. That's why I loves me kitties.

People act like all cats are the same but just like people they are each individuals. A good cat is a wonderful companion... a bad one can pretty much ruin your house, furniture, sleep, sanity and relationships.

I have to give my sick cat liquid medication and she’s not having it.

I’m licking my wounds, but she’s hiding in the dark basement and I closed the door where she likes to sit and squirrel-watch, so there!

That video showed me why I DON’T have pussies in my house.

This means WAR!

We may look quiet and contented, but we're just biding our time until you die so we can eat you.

R21 do you have any pics of Myrtle, Millie and Billy?

R27, Here's Billy (the dark chocolate & white kitty), and Millie cuddling.

Here's Billy in his favorite window nap spot.

Here's mama Myrtle with her boy Billy. This was taken before she beat the crap out of him the other night. LOL

Gosh thank you for posting, they all look adorable and I'm sure you take great care of them x

Thank you and you're welcome. Yes, I make sure they want for nothing.

The best way to fuck up one's cats' rule of scorn and terror is to introduce another cat to the catdom.

I adopted a senior cat in January, the day after my ex moved out. I hadn't had a cat in 17 years and was ecstatic. There have been days--especially since the quarantine--where we've had our battles. But she's given me such great company, and has taught me a lot about patience and forgiveness. Hokey, but true.

Unpaid advert for pine pellet litter...I started using it about two months ago and it's the best thing I've done besides getting an automatic feeder.

Hah! Cat burrito!

R23, try mixing the liquid medicine with a little warm (not hot) tap water and mix that into a small amount of canned food that she likes. I learned about the warm water trick on DL and it's been a life-saver (literally, in the true sense of the word).

Good luck with that, but you know you are going to fail

Pets behave like their owners, if you must know.

OP types low self-esteem and OCD.

The OP is currently tied up in the basement, the cats are taking turns pissing on him/her.

Cats are like me: emotionally unavailable, finicky, and lazy.

I must have been a cat in a previous life. That's why I like cats and they like me, but I would never "own" or let one in my house.

R30 You have two torties! They are wonderful but feisty. Poor Billy!

You do have to be just a bit of a sub in order to enjoy living with cats, but yeah, if you're not careful they can train you to cater to their every whim without even realizing it. I had a cat who trained me to periodically check throughout the day to make sure she had a fresh tumbler of ice water (NOT a dish, a real human glass like the ones I used.) But it probably extended her life, because she ended up with kidney disease and unlike most cats she was in the habit of drinking water regularly.

Yes R41. Myrtle is a full tortoiseshell, and as you can see from her picture Millie is all tortoiseshell except for one back leg that is orange tabby.

I have a female cat who has antagonized me for 12 years. She strategically walks in front of me hoping to trip me, so that I have had to look all around before I take a step. When I sit down here she comes, to knead her sharp claws on my belly which leaves tiny red bumps on my skin. She's deaf now so she's not aware of me til she feels my footsteps, then she emits non-stop shrill meows. Wherever I'm headed, she races there first to establish herself in the room. If I try to pull her out, she hides under a chair or bed.

r44 has redefined pussy-whipped

R44, my Billy does the very same thing. That boy has a fixation with my feet especially when I'm working in the kitchen. All he wants to do is lay at my feet and no matter where I step I almost trip over him. At times he'll lay there and wrap his front paws around my ankle as if to hold me there. If I walk out of the kitchen he'll follow me trying to weave in and out of my feet trying to trip me up. It scares me at times, but I can't be mean to him about it because he's just so damn cute about it.

Yeah, you keep telling yourself that......

My cats are despots in fur.

That’s not how it works op

OP’s story is familiar. My boyfriend and I had three cats (his male and my two females) and all of a sudden they ran the apartment. My bf’s male cat and my Tortie couldn’t stand each other, and our 2 bedroom apartment wasn’t enough territory, so there was lots of tension. My bf’s cat died suddenly in March, and while it was really painful things are much better now. The two girls get along great and don’t have us QUITE as whipped as before.

[quote]My bf’s cat died suddenly in March

And it was totally and completely 100% not our fault

Here's the thing OP, I don't think you are thinking this through...

I'm not going to be ignored, OP!

MISS OP HAS STATED HER BOUNDARIES!

Did you remove their pics from your dating app profiles yet, OP?

Not enough interior shots for me to tear you to shreds, OP.

Cats groom you to rebel. It’s healthy. And amusing.

R19 gets it. Bless you, R34, for adopting a senior.

OP, cats understand and love routine. Take them out to the gazebo once per day, for a specified amount of time, preferably at the same time each day. They will get used to it.

But understand that you have shaped your cats' dictatorial behaviour. When my old boy had a stroke and became partially disabled, he became king of the household and basically a gangster. He could do anything he liked, so he could eat off our plates, sleep on my lap without my moving though the room had become freezing cold, boss the other cat around. Fortunately, he wasn't destructive, so there's that...how I miss him!

The point of pets is to spoil them. Why have them? Why are they called pets?

you shouldn't be a pet owner. Find something else besides sweet kitties to discipline, you masochist.

Up to a point, R58, and after that they are a nightmare and a burden. No one wants a cat that turns its' owner's house into a toilet, or an untrained dog that bites, chews things, barks, and jumps on people.

What did you do, OP? Buy a Rottweiler?

With established cats, it really is a case of You and Which Army?

One of our cats has a servant who slavishly caters to her every whim. No, not me, it's my partner. The cat is named Cinder, and she has brain damage from an accident as a young kitten, which cost her an eye and also partially dislocated her left hind leg. She's an odd little cat, very eccentric, but also very loving. She is bonded to her sister Lucy, who is quite convinced that she is the fabulous one. They are SPCA cats, and we've had them for almost a year. They've lived in at least two other homes, but both of them are living royally now.

We somehow need to merge this cat thread with the Prince Oskar thread and then we’ll really have something entertaining.

If you haven't done so yet, OP, read or watch Jackson Galaxy. He gets cats. They're terrific, but we have to accept the fact that we are living with wild animals! They are partially domesticated, but nowhere near as much as dogs, and whole foods are pack animals and instead understand rules and hierarchy, cats are inherently loners.

Once you understand the nature of cats, you can work within that to put yourself more in charge of them than they are of you. But you will NEVER be the boss the way you can be with dogs because it just isn't in them.

*while dogs are pack animals and innately understand...

"Contrary to popular belief kitties don't hold grudges. That's why I loves me kitties."

Not really. Two of my (altered) boys did not get along because the older (we always thought was gay) one HATED the swaggering pig younger one. This was in a big house of four cats. They managed to ignore each other, so no fights. But if by chance they came face to face - fisticuffs. I mean a few swats, nothing like that Jackson Galaxy shit.

I recently adopted a beautiful cat who, to quote her vet, is morbidly obese, so it's up to me to make sure she gets a high quality diet in the right amounts to safely lose weight (cats can get fatty liver disease if they lose weight too fast.) My guess is that she was somebody's little sissy boodles and got fed Twinkies and cream all the time. I've been free feeding her Hill's indoor dry food (which Jackson Galaxy would NOT be on board with) and offer her a quarter of a can of Fancy Feast twice a day, and she's like, yeah, all right, and eats no more than the amount she's supposed to. But if I knew what it was she really wanted, that might be a dangerous situation.

R63, yes, and the cats will also boss the dog. However, there are rules and regulations in my house, and the cats will recognize them if you're consistent. For instance, cats eat their meals in the kitchen in their dish. Any people leftovers go in there dish, no eating off plates or in other rooms. Only treats are eaten wherever they want. No walking on the kitchen table or counters. And they don't -when I'm home, tee hee.

Heh heh! All our highfalutin' ideas about what they SHOULD eat, and how they SHOULD behave... If cats could give us the finger, they would do it often.

Cinder on top, Lucy on the bottom. On the seat of the computer chair. Almost a feline yin-yang.

lovely cats!!

Thank you R70. They're our babies, and we love them dearly.

R69 those are two fluffy beauties!

The two fluffy beauties thank you, R72. I agree, they're lovely little girls. Very different in personality.

Watch your back.

I really enjoy your posts, Miss Lucy, not just the cat-related ones.

Fool! Resistance is futile!

What beautiful kitties Miss Lucy. I just want to hug 'em. There are few things more precious than kitties napping together.

OP is probably taking those cats back and forth to the gazebo as we speak.

Since quarantine ours have become so spoiled and demanding, and have been getting so used to getting whatever they want when they want!

Your kitties are all adorable.

I love them all but female cats are true queens. I love catering to them.

R75, Thank you so much! That's an incredible compliment. *Smoochies*

Awwwww, R77. Thank you!

This thread title belongs in the DL Hall of Fame.

😾😾 Va A' Nápoli, Opeepee!

You don't train a cat.

The cat trains you.

R84 never a truer word spoken!

Well now all your uhpostery and carpet will smell like cat piss.

[quote] If you haven't done so yet, OP, read or watch Jackson Galaxy. He gets cats.

Jackson Galaxy ("My Cat from Hell") admits that he owns dogs, not cats.

When I see people with neurotic animals (cats that scratch / injure their owners, etc.), I wonder what's wrong with both the owner and the animal.

I also don't understand cats sitting on kitchen counters. At some point, you're going to put food on that counter where your cat's ass just sat.

R86, you need to get altered, then you won't piss on everything.

r20, that was downright terrifying. What do these cats have to be so angry about? Life is easy for them. They are house cats not living on the street, eating trash fighting for their lives. So much rage.

How has one of these commercials not been posted yet?

R90, I thought those commercials were the height of glamour, Lauren Bacall and all! We had an outdoor cat growing up and I desperately wanted to buy her Fancy Feast and ding on some crystal to summon her. My mother thought I was mad (and most likely very homosexual), and said we needed to stick with dry food in her plastic bowl. My dreams of elegance were dashed.

Dogs have masters, cats have staff, OP. By the way, YOU'RE FIRED!

R91 your post made me laugh so hard my cat came running into my room to see what was up ! LOL

OP finally got fired.

R87, according to this 2019 article, Galaxy has 3 dogs and 8 cats.

Winston Churchill loved cats. Among other things, he said: "Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us."

When you started to stay home from work during the pandemic, your dog thought you quit your job so you could spend more time with him. Your cat thought you got fired like the loser he knew you always were.

^ dogs are so needy and stupid :(

“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.” - Christopher Hitchens

For the Fourth holiday, I'm dressing my cat as Betsy Ross and we're grilling wieners on the patio.

I have a male cat who’s just over a year old and he’s extremely affectionate and sweet but he also keeps me in line. He’s really good at letting me know if he doesn’t like a food flavour and I just won’t buy it again. He also wakes me up at around 9 on weekends which used to upset me but now I’m glad I don’t waste my day sleeping.

Why are cats so picky about food? Feral cats have to scrounge and hunt and presumably are willing to take whatever they can find.

R102, they don't really care about the food; it's just a training technique. First, they boss you about food, then they boss you about everything else, too.

Then they whisper murderous plots imto your nose while you sleep, but they spit because furry psychopath does not always go with perfect diction. Anyway, yeah, you’re fucked.

r103 So what happens if you just leave the food out there indefinitely and don't feed them anything else?

I swore Jackson Galaxy was a daddy into S&M, slips, whips, etc until I watched one of his vids on YouTube...he just has that look at first glance. Then I looked him up on Wikipedia and he's married to a woman. It would almost be too easy for a self-professed "cat behaviourist" to be gay...too obvious.

R105, they'll eventually eat if they're really hungry, just like children. My cat has an automatic feeder with dry food, but I supplement her diet with x1 or x2 small portions of wet food a day. She gets up on a high horse about wanting more wet food when her feeder still had plenty of dry food in it. If I don't give in, she'll eat the dry food. Because it's there and she's hungry.

Humans domesticated dogs. Cats domesticated humans.

[quote]We had an outdoor cat growing up and I desperately wanted to buy her Fancy Feast and ding on some crystal to summon her. My mother thought I was mad (and most likely very homosexual), and said we needed to stick with dry food in her plastic bowl. My dreams of elegance were dashed.

I'm putting this in a file so I can pull it out on a bad day and have a laugh. Thank you.

Well do I remember the crystal dish on its own pedestal.

R109, you're very welcome. Just trying to add to the laughs here! Your Fancy Feast advert is even more elegant, what with the puss reclined on the chaise lounge. That campaign had to be thought up by a gay man.

Thanks for the fancy feast story! I'm laughing too

R66, it would be better to buy premium wet weight-loss food.

OP dead yet?

OP is fine. We're helping him lose some of the extra weight he put on during the lockdown by walking him back and forth to the gazebo. Although he doesn't seem too grateful, we are here for him.

Somehow I picture OP staring off at a corner, giving the Melania Trump look of determination as he struggles to endure.

"Why are cats so picky about food? "

I have NEVER had a cat that was a picky eater, my current cat even tries to sneak a bite of the dog's food, which the dog hates. As long as it's brand name cat food and I rotate for variety, my cats always loved their food. Dry for breakfast, canned for dinner.

My cat has me trained to provide her with 1/3 of a can of (expensive) wet food every 4 hours, day or night.

R117 isn't your kitty fat?

It’s actually less food than the label recommends. My kitty has lost weight, but she’s been ill.

I hope she's OK, what color is she?

My kitten is very young but only eats kibble when I refuse to give him wet food which he gets 3 times a day already. I refuse to give him anything but kibble during the night.....

Tortie.

What's kibble?

Kibble is disgusting artificial looking/smelling shit that's part dry, part wet food. My kittens ate it when they were young and continue to eat it as adults, the older ones won't touch the stuff.

I believe that I am being used by my cat. The cat meows at me because he wants to play with his favorite toy: a fuzzy mouse on a string. However, he is too lazy to chase the toy mouse. Instead, he lays on his back and expects me to swing the mouse a few inches above him while he swats at it. I am tired of doing all the work.

R124 he gets Royal Canin kitten food(the vet recommended it) maybe kibble isn’t the right word(I’m not a native speaker) I meant the dry meat chunks for kittens. He’s just not fond of the latter.

I think you just have an exceptionally low IQ, R125.

I thought I was on the verge of training my cat's potential to fetch. She seemed to get it initially. Eleven years later, we still play the same way: she meows she wants to play, I throw the item (hair or rubber band), she runs to it and...waits for me to come and pick it up and throw it again. Rinse and repeat.

I thought kibble referred to dry pet food (cat or dog.)

LMFAO R125 that sounds like such a cat

R129, yes, kibble = dry food

I use the term "kibble" to mean dry, crunchy pet food. Someone said semi-moist chunks? Never have I had such a thing.

There is semi-moist food but I wouldn't call it kibble. Kibble is dry and hard, the junk food of feline cuisine.

Kibble isn't junk food. We call it crunchies around here and it is free. Pate is 4x per day. Cats need wet food. Crunches are their free food anytime. HIGHLY nutritious. I mix 2 varieties for the boys - oral care and hairball control.

OP, I am certainly sympathetic to your plight.

But sometimes, when your charges are resistant to training, you have to consider.....well, more drastic measures.

OP, I have found my nuanced vocal performances from the Linda Lavin big note songbook lets everybody in the house know I am the cunt in charge.

My cat lets me know he doesn’t like the flavour of wet food I’ve given him by covering up his dish with a placemat or whatever is near and meowing loudly. I try to feed him a variety of flavours and there’s certain things he always likes like rabbit or lamb but anything else is a gamble.

My cat refuses to eat anything other than crunchy kibble. He will lick at wet food for a minute and then walk away.

Again -- would these finicky cats starve themselves to death if they didn't have other options? Seems like everyone is spoiling them.

Not a good idea to let a cat get addicted to kibble, which are like potato chips to them.

My cat has been eating kibble for 10 years. Some types are junk food, yes, but there are healthy varieties also. He is very healthy and goes to the vet annually. She is fine with what he eats as long as he drinks his water (which he loves).

Crunchy dry food is called dry food. Kibble is semi-soft and smells like it was created in a laboratory with synthetic ingredients.

My cat likes wet food from a can. He accepts crunchy dry food for breakfast because that's what he gets. Cats like routine.

[quote]Not a good idea to let a cat get addicted to kibble, which are like potato chips to them.

Well, she'll die sooner.

Then it’s dry food my kitten doesn’t like.

Why cat likes dry food occasionally but he’d rather eat just wet food. On days when I’m home all day he’ll just ask for fresh wet food when he wants to eat and ignore the dry food. My last cat didn’t like wet food so I’m glad because it’s so much healthier.

[quote]Crunchy dry food is called dry food. Kibble is semi-soft and smells like it was created in a laboratory with synthetic ingredients.

I thought the semi-soft stuff was the "bits" in Kibbles and Bits. The dictionary definition of "kibble" implies that it's DRY food.

My cat is 21 and he eats crunchies and pate. He prefers pate but rolls a few crunchies around when the kitchen is closed. He is purrfect and v healthy for his advanced age. Alert, curious, playful and also doesn't put up with any shit.

Anyone who feels guilty about spoiling his cat should remember that, throughout history, most cats were not well-fed. Into the nineteenth century the most many of them got was (shudder) boiled horse meat. Virtually anything you are giving your cat is fabulous by comparison.

Oh, and nice work, R147.

Cos gets a 1/2 can of pate Fancy Feast for breakfast and a different 1/2 can for dinner. He always has dry food (Hills' Science Diet Perfect Weight). He was getting a full can 2x a day but he weighed 12 lbs last August. The Vet said he that's the most he should weigh. He's strictly an indoor cat.

He's started making appearances on my team Zoom meetings. When he isn't there, my coworkers ask for him and he makes a command appearance. He now knows that, when that call begins, it's almost dinner time!

There are 2 things Cos does that I find so adorable:

* In the morning when I first wake up, he knows I'll have to use the bathroom. He now escorts me in, let's me do my business, and then escorts me down the hall to the kitchen. * At night, when its time for bed, I am escorted to the bedroom. He lays on the floor until I turn off the bedroom light. Then he goes to the living room for his bedtime.

If I don't turn off the living room TV and get in bed by 10:30 pm, he sits in front of me and stares up. It's the equivalent of standing on his hind legs, front paws on his hips, and tapping his foot.

Cos sounds absolutely adorable! What does he look like?

Sometimes when I'm in bed I can hear my extrovert playful cat dragging the birdie toy down the hallway towards the bedroom. The pole dragging against the walls, she makes such an effort. Most of the time she gives up, especially when it gets stuck, but sometimes I'll wake up in the morning with the toy on my bed. I think how diligent she was but also how polite because she brought the toy to my attention (or inattention) but didn't try anything else to wake me up to play.

R69 Cindy and Lucy are beautiful, thanks for the picture. Also, I agree with the poster upthread: Your posts are always enjoyable.

"I'm going to piss on your face, fart in your mouth, and shit all over these walls. Meow!"

R151 my cat does something similar. He likes to deliver toys as presents at night. He drags some and puts them next to his food and water bowls. Others get dragged into the bedroom and delivered next to the bed. Sometimes if we had visitors in the house that day, he will deliver one of his favorite toys to the area right inside the front door. He really likes visitors and it seems like he's leaving something to say thanks or come back again soon. I adopted him a few years ago and his previous family told me he would probably do this.

R154 My boy, Pete, loves to deliver gifts in the same patterns! Next to the bed, next to the food / water bowls. This must be part of some kind of common behavior that I thought was original to Pete!

My cat Jelly also likes leaving his toys beside water dishes and even sometimes puts them inside his water. He puts toys in my shoes all the time too.

R151 R154 R156 This is so strange. I never would have thought this 'gifting' thing was shared behavior. Pete has one toy that he carries upstairs to the bedroom every night and then carries downstairs to his food bowls in the morning. That particular toy then spends the day in his dry food bowl until it's time to bring it upstairs again...

R156 my tortie Val will do that too. It’s always a boot and she immediately starts whining for help getting it out.

All R150 up-posts, we need a thread about this behavior. WTF? Is it linked to some big cat behavior - like head bumping?

I've heard different theories about the cat gift-delivery thing. One is that they're bringing presents to let you know they appreciate you and the fact you feed them (gifts by the bed and the food/water bowls). Another theory is that they have natural hunting instincts and think humans are idiots and can't hunt for themselves, so they (the cat) "hunts" down something in the house and brings it to the human to take care of them.

When we're outside on the patio, Pete will bring me a chipmunk. He won't kill it, he'll just drop it at my chair and the poor chipper will just lay there while Pete lays nose-to-nose with it. I have to coax Pete into the house so the chipper can run away.

And then I'm pissed because I have chipmunks!

My strictly indoor cat used to gift me with dirty socks. It was all he had...

R162 He loved your smell!

I got a rock.

There’s nothing quite like the “mowf” a cat makes when holding a mouse in its mouth, and asking for the door to become opened with thumbs.

I love the purring. Such a comforting sound.

Nothing worse than your cat leaving you a half chawed up gopher on the hall rug. Because you don't know if the other half went into the cat's stomach or he's put it somewhere else for you to discover.

R152 Thank you for your post. I'm glad you like the kitties, and I'm overwhelmed by your kindness.

A whole cat thread and Bootsie Gumdrops hasn't shown up? I laugh every time I re-read those Tweets from Jaclyn, patron saint of K-Mart. I'd like to have her sign something at Chiller or another autograph show, just to ask about Bootsie. Maybe a little white lie that I have a Bootsy myself (but spelled with a Y), and ask her to sign a pic of my cat (a reprint of a Fancy Feast cat promotional pic). "To Bootsy with love--Jaclyn."

Funny story I've forgotten to share until now...the senior cat I adopted in January is named Lady Sadie. I sent texts introducing her to my family and friends (super gay, but I'd just broken up with my ex after an abusive relationship, so everyone was happy I had something to take my mind off that). I was showing her pics to a guy I work with, and he said that Lady Sadie sounded like such a regal name. He asked if I knew where it came from, and I didn't. So we Googled it right there at work and some filthy song lyrics from a British band came up. I'll attach them in the link. They're so filthy that she is now just Sadie, which is all I ever called her, anyway.

My cat only offers me his face so I have have the pleasure of kissing him. If I'm holding him while kissing him and turn my head, he puts his paw on my face and turns it toward him for more kissing. I've never had a cat like this guy. A kisser, not a hunter.

R150. Cos is grey tabby. I wish I could share a pic. He loves to lay on his back with his arms all akimbo. I know this means he feels safe and loved because cats don't bear their tummies otherwise. It's their most vulnerable spot.

I adopted him just before my Mom passed away. I knew I would need something to help with my grief (Mom was in locked-down assisted living due to Dementia). Cos has given me at least one good belly laugh every day since I brought him home June 20, 2016.

R171 thanks for answering me, I'm so glad you found your little sweatheart.

Does anyone know how our R171 can post a pic of Cos?

Flickr?

R171, I hope this works.

Didn't work, R171. Sorry. I'll keep trying.

Fingers crossed.

That worked Cosmo!!! And what a beautiful cat. Obviously very well loved

Thanks, R177! That's my baby boy, lovey joy.

Stunning cat, Cosmo. I love the stripey markings -- and I've found those cats to be intelligent (both males and females). Lucky you, and him too!

I thought that I had commented on Billy and Millie already, but it seems that I have not. They are absolutely beautiful, R28, and their Mom as well. Also, R176, Cosmo is a sweet and gorgeous little boy.

Is OP alive?

Thank you, Cosmo is beautiful!

My cat also has this odd habit of licking inside my mouth. He does it in the middle of the night and it seems to go along with cuddling

R176 what a stunner! He almost looks like he’s part Brit or Blue Russian

R181 I wouldn’t count on it

He dead. I hope someone finds the cats before the poor things starve.

R186, the cats would be eating him by now if he were dead.

Or would they burry him under the gazebo?

R188, they'd bury the bones under the hallowed gazebo. After they'd licked them clean!

from The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore by Michael Dylan Foster: One common cat yokai, the nekomata, is characterized by a forked tail. It was said that when a cat reached a certain age, its tail would bifurcate and it would begin acting in a dangerous and suspicious manner.

One early nekomata story, from the year 1233, tells of a creature with eyes like a cat and a body like a large dog. It devoured seven or eight people in a single night. In many cases nekomata are described as exceedingly large cats living in the mountains and forests, but they are also found in populated cities and towns….

Another yokai cat is called bakeneko, which might be loosely translated as “monster cat.” While bakeneko generally look no different from regular cats—no split tail like a nekomata—their monstrousness is similarly attributed to age. In some parts of Japan it was said that a pet cat kept longer than a certain number of years (the exact number varied by location) would kill its master or, more commonly, turn into a bakeneko and perform all sorts of mischievous acts. Such misbehavior might be comical—speaking in a human voice, for example, or dancing around with a towel on its head—or it might be terrifying, such as turning into a human, molesting travelers, possessing people, or manipulating the bodies of the dead.

r106, as we know some men of Jewish heritage (Jackson's birth name is Richard Kirschner) can give off a false ping.

Oh great... Just did the bedding and someone barfed all over it. Aaaannndd now he's purring in my lap.

Best to let indoor cats do what they want- make sure you have furniture that won’t catch claws (or just let it go), teach them to tolerate regular trimming, provide some toys, cat climber, scratch pads and posts and let them fuck up your home a little. That’s what they’re for- they will give you unqualified devotion and affection and companionship. They will remind you of what’s important. Remember, you owe it to them, confined to your home, to give them the best you can. Trust me- you’ll get much more back.

R193 is right

>>>let them fuck up your home a little.

You mean like let them turn your house into their personal toilet?

Glad I live in Europe - tile floors, no open-plan living, rooms with doors on them.

Right, R193. I had to have my cat put down yesterday and it's hitting me hard. All the peed on carpets don't matter now.

My cat has never peed on the carpet or anywhere other than in the litter box in the 5 years he's been with me.

R196, sorry to hear that. How old was your cat?

Funny

Let's do that again.

R196 I'm very, very sorry! My condolences to you.

R200 that fruit smells very strongly like vomit. Can’t blame the kittehs.

R196 I'm sorry to hear of your loss but you did the right thing. Having a loving pet put down is heartbreaking but know that you spared it further pain.

My five year old cat is litter trained, I don't know why you people have so much difficulty with that. I introduced her to it when she was less than a month old (we found her) and there have been no mistakes. I live in an apt building so there are no neighborhood cats coming to the window or door threatening her territory so that also helps.

R196 so sorry about your cat!

R196, Cosmo and I are so very sorry for your loss. We are sending you virtual headbuts and nose boops.

Thanks for the condolences above. It's been helpful reading the cat threads the last few weeks (especially the varying opinions on the one about whether or not to let a cat die at home) and I knew I could count on you all here. R198, she was a month away from her 16th birthday.

R204, mine was also litter trained, but she needed two boxes, which I only realized late in her life. As soon as I got the second box, the peeing on carpets stopped. But litter-trained cats do pee on things, especially when they're upset with a change.

Knock on wood, my cats are faithful litter box users. The gross thing thats end up on the carpet are hairballs and vomit. My cats are food sensitive so if they have eaten something that is remotely upsetting, up it comes. The only litter box messes are when they have a poo they can't shake and break off. And it freaks them out, they bolt out of the box like their butts are on fire and will run around until the offending piece of shit falls off. The worst is when they resort to scooting. Try tracing the route for cleaning purposes...

R196, condolences. 16 is a good age for cats although, of course, it's too short for those who love them. My cats will be 12 this year and 4 years will go by in a flash. At this point, I tell myself that I have probably had more than 50% of my time with my cats. It's sad though I usually resolve to make the most of it and take as good care of them as I can.

I forgot for awhile one of my cats was using the box but she likes to pee where she steps in. So her aim was shooting over the entrance of the box. They had high-sided boxes except for the entrance. I kept finding the mats in front of the entrance wet until one day I made sure to watch as the offending stepped in and did her business. She doesn't crouch or squat when she pees--so she stepped in, her butt just barely within the box and her stream went right out of the box. We now have boxes that are at least 8 inches high all around. I placed short Ikea stools in front of each box to help entry and exit though the offending cat is spry enough to jump in and out and bypasses the stools.

In any case, I couldn't be mad at her--technically she was using the litter boxes.

R196, I'm so sorry for your loss. Losing pets is always very difficult.

Well, it's been a couple of weeks and despite my efforts, my cats are still running the house. They know how to wear me down and I just got back from taking them out to the gazebo. I put a little love seat out there for them with the hopes that they'll enjoy napping on it.

Cos occasionally stands a little to pee. I too have the high-sided litter boxes. I bought some cheap towels and put them around the litter box. It’s also not up against the wall. The vet said when cats get heavy, squatting is uncomfortable. Cos is on a slight food-reduction diet. He squats about 95% of the time now.

If your cat is peeing over the litter box, try reducing the amount of litter you use. Cos doesn’t like too much litter.

At least you can say you tried, OP. I tried to train Cos about breakfast (5:30 - 5:45 am). I just get up, feed him, and go back to bed. I tried ignoring him. He just knocks stuff off the dresser til I get up.

Cos sounds cute, R212, but I feel your pain regarding the early am feedings. One of my cats purrs in my ear around 5:30 - 6:00 am and he will NOT be ignored. He doesn't use a slow, quite, normal purr to wake me up either, it's one of those hyper-fast, loud purrs. I've tried rolling over and pulling blankets over my head, but he won't stop until I get up to feed him.

>>>I put a little love seat out there for them with the hopes that they'll enjoy napping on it.

>>>around 5:30 - 6:00 am ....I've tried rolling over and pulling blankets over my head, but he won't stop until I get up to feed him.

OMG. OP is a lost cause.

What should I do, R214?

Help me!

I advised you as to what to do above, regarding the gazebo. Take them out there at certain times a day, and stick to it. Cats understand routine. But they also are big opportunists. As I said above, my disabled cat became a thug gangster after he had his stroke; he would howl for me to come wipe his behind and paws after he had used his litterbox.

Regarding the early wake-ups, some people would tell you to close your bedroom door. Not me, however. I lost my cat a couple of years ago, and now I only wish I had done more for him.

R215, here's Jackson Galaxy's (cat behaviourist's) YouTube channel. He has lots of tips for dealing with cats, and also what cats actually expect from us. Don't beat yourself up...I was cooking salmon tonight and my cat was going mad, begging for some. I put a few small morsels of the salmon in her bowl, and she sniffed it and walked off in a huff. I think she was testing me to see how indulgent I'd be, and the next thing I knew, she was eating her regular kibble. She, too, woke me up this afternoon from a nap by head butting me to be fed a treat. What can we do...that's cats.

OP, I agree with R216. Do it for your cats; you won't regret it when they're gone. You'll miss those early morning wake-ups. (When my cat did that, I would lift up the blanket and she would crawl in and lay down beside me, under the blanket.)

Oh R208 I know exactly what you mean!! I have a long-hair cat who has perfect litter box etiquette. But once about once a year there's an incident where a piece of poo doesn't drop off and somehow gets tangled in the fur. And he races around hysterically trying to figure out what to do. I woke up once and he was scooting on the floor next to the bed like a dog. After the piece dropped off he was very upset because he knew it wasn't supposed to be there but didn't know what to do. He kept making this motion with his paw like he was trying to bury it with air. And the hairballs, oh my. No matter how much we brush there will be hairballs choked up especially after some traumatic event (like fireworks) triggers extensive stress grooming. We had an especially ugly hairball incident this morning.

Regarding the damage to a house - and believe me, I know all about it - if you know you will always have cats, you can control a lot of it by choosing your environment with that in mind. Don't opt for wall-to-wall carpeting; choose a washable floor and put rugs on top if desired. If you have parquet, make sure all the joins are sealed. Get Austrian blinds rather than long curtains. Don't get leather furniture; get furniture with washable covers. And cats do not need the run of a house when you are not there. There is nothing wrong with locking them in the kitchen for a few hours as long as they have all their needs met. There will always be accidents, barf and hairballs, you will always be cleaning up, but your home and belongings do not have to be destroyed.

R217 looks like he has many useful videos. Thanks for sharing. The clicker training seems interesting.

OP good to know you’re still alive

[quote] We had an especially ugly hairball incident this morning.

R219 (and others on this thread) sound like the mommies I've heard chatting about their babies' elimination issues. "My Jodee's carrot diarrhea is so thick!" -- "Oh yes! But that's better than too loose, like Gareth with beets!" -- "The worst is lumpy, my SooSoo just can't digest raisins!" Followed by simpers and hugs all 'round.

Not criticizing because I've done it myself, comparing notes with other cat fanciers. But it does sound gross.

Does anyone else let their cat watch those YouTube "cat TV" videos, where it's mainly just birds chirping and flitting from a location where bird seed has been placed? I let my cat watch about 30 minutes tonight (I'm a west coast night owl) and she loved it as she lounged on my lap while I read a book. She's declawed, so I'm not sure if she still has the primal instinct to murder the birds.

"I put a few small morsels of the salmon in her bowl, and she sniffed it and walked off in a huff. I think she was testing me to see how indulgent I'd be..."

JESUS. You project all of this shit, when the fact is that the cat was CURIOUS, the end.

When I'm making a salad, my cat is all over me begging. I let him smell a leaf and he turns his head away. It's not because he thinks I'm a vegan and is testing me blah blah blah. He's curious and wants a bite. And IF there's going to be a bite, it happens after I've eaten, in his dish.

R224, thanks for the psychoanalysis. Oh so helpful. Get a fucking life and stop jumping down the throats of people on a cat thread.

R224's manner is a bit brusque, but I do think he's right. Cats are curious as hell and that's probably a large part of why they watch us preparing food -- I expect that they're also hoping it might be something good to eat and they'll get some of it. I always let them sniff an ingredient that I know they'll hate -- onions, lemons, pickles -- they wrinkle their noses, back off, and leave the room. Curiosity satisfied, appetite quelled, time for a nap and leave me alone to eat in peace.

Yep, they are curious about everything. I always give them the smell test for anything that piques their interest. Usually that's enough and they move on.

The foods that get my cats into a frenzy are deli meats, yogurt/ice cream and crackers/biscuits. They are unremitting if they find me eating any of those items. They will not stop until they get their share. And of course, I share (with portion control in mind).

R225 they are not just curious in my experience like R226 said. My kitten loves raw chicken meat, real butter, whipped cream, real(creamy) mayonaise, custard and more. I really have to watch it so he doesn’t jump on the kitchen counter after lunch or dinner or he’ll eat some of the leftovers if there are any. When I am cutting raw chicken or fish he really enjoys having a bite and will be meowing and keeps nuzzling up in the hope of getting some. When he does he will eat it right away.

Duh, R228, all animals like that shit and should not be eating it. But I'll bet the cat doesn't like arugula salad.

R223, no cat videos but Cos and I love to watch TV shows about big cats. We got hooked on a PBS 3-part mini-series on big cats. Cos was ENTHRALLED! He sat there like “Wow! Am I one of those?” It was adorable.

My downstairs neighbor put out a bird feeder with several feeders. Cos just sits and watches them all day.

I let Cosmo sniff anything I’m eating. He doesn’t eat people food so that’s not a problem.

R229 no he doesn't eat veggies. Though my former tomcat used to eat spinach and tomato.

My cat goes into trance sniffing strawberry tops. I have no idea what that's about. He never tries to eat them though. Cats are weird.

My cat went crazy for olives. I think it was the herbs that were added to the oil the ones I bought were packed in. She'd come running and try to get into the container. Sometimes I let her have the top of it and she'd start rolling around and purring like she was on drugs. Catnip did nothing for her.

My cats went crazy over mint teabags; same effect as catnip.

Regarding cats' love of butter and cream...one Christmas I went too far in whipping cream and it was unusable. I decided to give my three a Christmas treat, which they happily accepted. Within 15 minutes, there were three pools of barf on the kitchen floor.

R234, I read a couple of weeks ago that adding olive oil to the cat's wet food would help prevent bad hairballs. I thought, "This'll be great...she's been shedding for summer and this will help out." (She'd just had a nasty hairball that I'm surprised she didn't choke on.) I was very sparing with the EVOO, but not only did she throw up 5x over the course of eight hours, her poop was terribly pungent and shiny. So no more home remedies for this household.

PS--I've also made the mistake of giving her a bit of milk or other things I considered treats. Your cream reminds me she threw up then as well. Cats really do just like routines, and their little stomachs do as well.

Mine were fine with milk, though. Some cats are, some aren't.

But for someone with an allergy to dairy, accidentally consuming some can be agony. Cats don't show it in the same way, but i imagine they feel it. I think the cream was just too rich..

Most adult cats are lactose intolerant.

Regarding mint tea bags....interesting.....catnip is a member of the mint family so that makes sense.

Contrary to popular belief, cats SHOULD NOT be given milk. And don't give me that "they like it" bullshit.

My cats are definitely dairy sensitive. One of them is mad about it though so I allow her a very minimal amount as a treat. Minimal as in I finish eating ice cream and I let her lick the spoon and empty bowl a few seconds. Any more than that and the heaving starts.

R238 I only get him catmilk.

You can buy fish oil to put in their food for hair balls. I had a cat I gave it to and it didn’t make her sick

Vaseline works too. Just be sure not to get any scented versions (baby powder, rose petal, etc).

My cats will heave up any kind of hairball treats/treatment except Vaseline. I feel bad making them eat it but it's the only thing that doesn't make them vomit. My vet is old school and is a big fan of vaseline--it goes right through the cats' GI systems.

My last cat used to bring up ferocious sticky hairballs. And he used to shit everywhere but his tray. And he used to sink his teeth into bare feet. He was a nightmare, but when he had to be put to sleep I cried my eyes out.

One of my cats had terrible sticky hairballs. Olive oil didn't work but sardine oil did! I'd buy a tin of sardines and drain some of the oil on her dry food. That worked. She wouldn't eat a sardine, though.

R243, I mixed the Vaseline into their dry food and they didn't seem to notice it.

[quote]She wouldn't eat a sardine, though.

Obviously not a lesbian kitty then.

You can get a hairball stick at the pet store. It's some gummy concoction that includes some kind of tree sap. The dispenser looks like a Deodorant. Just apply it to a paw. The cat licks it off and it gathers up the hair in his tummy and he poops it out instead of puking. I used it and it did seem to reduce hairballs. My cat always was like wtf when I put the gum on his paw tho... Loll

Cosmo's late cat-cousin Rocco hated hairball anything. The vet suggested the kind in the tube. You squeeze a small amount and put it on their paws so they lick it off, supposedly. My sister did that but Rocco just flicked it off his paw! My sister had it on her glasses and in her air. Rocco just walked away and swished his tail at her as he left.

Cos doesn't get many hairballs. The few times he does vomit, it's because he either didn't chew the dry food well or ate too fast. I have a glove with little rubber thingies on it. I pet him a bit to get out loose hair. He initially loves it and then when, he's had enough, he tries to bite it. He also wriggles on the carpet so I think that gets rid of some hair. Whenever I vacuum the rug, I have to empty the container (Dyson) about 4 times.

R249 None of our cats is especially fond of hairball medication, but the only one who actually manufactures hairballs is Lucy, with her thick, Persian coat, which she is constantly grooming. Happily, she is able to expel the hairballs without any outside help, at the rate of one small one almost every day.