Struggling With Play Time

calicosrspecial

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Awwwwwwww, that is sweet. There is something about them that Ash likes. I wonder if they like cats more than you think......... Cats are good judges of character so Ash is seeing something he likes. Yes, some cats are more sensitive there and yes with the rubbing etc it does make it hard to avoid touching them there. :/

:/ Sometimes people surprise us when needed most. She does love the cats, no doubt about that. Maybe there isn't the urgency knowing you will be back soon.

Oh I know. They are amazing. Their flexibility is amazing. And they are quick. I am really impressed how well you handled him. I know it is not easy and it sounds like it went really well. OH yes, 5 people, I am not surprised. It is always best to not sedate if at all possible.

The Maine coons I have met were really nice as well. I am sure there are ones that are "tougher" but it all depends. They are gorgeous. Totally agree on the fur types. Length is not all of it. It is that undercoat, that real soft "cashmere" type fur. Snowball sounds beautiful. That is good Ash is the only one. I know my boy is having more issues lately (never had issues when he was younger). Things do change. :/ All we can do is our best at trying to manage it.
 

Animal Freak

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Nah. I'm not saying either of them hate cats, but they aren't the biggest fans. My brother has two, but mostly because his girlfriend wanted and dog and he, for some reason, doesn't think their house is good for a dog, so they got cats instead. But dad is always respectful of all animals. If you ask, he'll say he hates cats. That's not true. He just doesn't want to live with them. I think they're both calmer people though. Ember doesn't come out for people who are loud, high energy, or intimidating and she also quite likes my dad. His shoes probably gave him an advantage with Ash. That cat really does have an obsession.

I've been gone for a week at a time in the past. She would take care of them. They'd survive. I'd just be lucky if they weren't covered in knots. And if I had any energetic/destructive cats (or other animals) then I'd probably be coming home to a mess since she won't keep up on exercise.

I'm impressed we came out unscathed honestly. He was difficult, but I expected more claws. He was surprisingly good about that though.

I've wanted a Maine coon for some time now. They are lovely cats and I'd be lying if their size wasn't appealing. We were supposed to go to a cat show, but now with the pandemic everything has been cancelled. I've still gotten reminders for it on Facebook which is really quite cruel. I had forgotten about it! But I definitely would've been looking for Maine coons there.

Yes, that undercoat. Ash's really is a nightmare. And he has so much fur a brush can't just get through all of it. Snowball was a pretty cat. Kind of aloof though. Can't blame him. I was young then, so didn't fully know how to respect him. Still, he liked me better than my mom. He was pretty laid back. Our neighbor across the street had an outdoor cat who was an older cat (which sounds bad, but the cat had been abandoned by the previous owners of the house and the older couple who moved in just started feeding him) and he looked almost just like Snowball except his coloring was a bit duller. He got in our house once and we didn't even realize immediately! I only knew because he meowed and it wasn't Snowball's meow. :lol:

So Stella got sick this last Thursday. She woke me up at 2a.m. whining. I took her out and she had diarrhea. Same thing at 5a.m. And at 7a.m. Then she went again around 10a.m. and 11 or so. At that point I called the vet and got permission to take her into work with me. While there, she had diarrhea all over the place twice. They did a fecal sample and, fortunately, no worms or parasites. He said things just got out of balance. She ate something that increased the amount of bad bacteria in the gut. He said pretty much anything could cause it. A lot of dogs get it from getting in dead animals, eating bugs, etc. She had to be put on a couple of different medications and her poop was back to normal yesterday afternoon. :yess:
 

calicosrspecial

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Yep. A lot of men say they don't like cats then you see things that suggest otherwise. A lot of men think it is "macho" enough to like cats. Men.......................... Hahahaha, Ash.

Yes, seems like she does a good job. But I know what you mean, other people rarely match our standards.

Totally agree. I thought he (and you both) did an amazing job. I was really impressed.

Hehehehehehe, the size really is cool........................... :( Oh my. I would have hoped that the show would have been cancelled. Pretty much everywhere there is too much virus and risk it seems. Well, there will be others in the future. You will be able to enjoy. I cause we are really learning about patience. But with the goal of saving lives hopefully it helps make it easier.

Yes, I know those undercoats. :( They are a challenge. :( I bet Snowball was gorgeous. Yes, aloof is common. Yes, it can be a learning experience. Generic stereotypes of cats can only go so far, they have unique personalities.

OH MY!! I know, some cats look so alike. I have already gone up to a cat and thought it was one of mine and it turns out it was an unknown cat. Then there is some trait that says "wait a minute, this is a different cat!!"

Whew, I am glad that was solved. Yes, that can happen. Things get "out of whack". So glad it wasn't serious. Probably picked something up from the walk. :( It is so nice you work for and have a good relationship with the vet. SO helpful!!

Poor Stella but hopefully she is on her way to recovery. Fingers crossed. But seems like she will be fine. Whew.
 

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I finally got the secret to how my cat will play. Simulating a prey is hard lol.

I thought sudden movement would just surprise my cat, but the key is sudden movement when your toy is moving away. Approach with your toy gently, pretend you're a small animal checking its environment out. When you get near your cat, bolt away from them. That probably make him feel like mighty lion. I managed to pretend to be cornered bird as i guide the feather stick into the room's corner and she went in for the kill. Probably makes her very proud too :D
 

Animal Freak

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I finally got the secret to how my cat will play. Simulating a prey is hard lol.

I thought sudden movement would just surprise my cat, but the key is sudden movement when your toy is moving away. Approach with your toy gently, pretend you're a small animal checking its environment out. When you get near your cat, bolt away from them. That probably make him feel like mighty lion. I managed to pretend to be cornered bird as i guide the feather stick into the room's corner and she went in for the kill. Probably makes her very proud too :D
I'll keep that in mind. Right now they're all on strike apparently. They get bored with the same toy after a while. :sigh:
 

Animal Freak

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Yep. A lot of men say they don't like cats then you see things that suggest otherwise. A lot of men think it is "macho" enough to like cats. Men.......................... Hahahaha, Ash.

Yes, seems like she does a good job. But I know what you mean, other people rarely match our standards.

Totally agree. I thought he (and you both) did an amazing job. I was really impressed.

Hehehehehehe, the size really is cool........................... :( Oh my. I would have hoped that the show would have been cancelled. Pretty much everywhere there is too much virus and risk it seems. Well, there will be others in the future. You will be able to enjoy. I cause we are really learning about patience. But with the goal of saving lives hopefully it helps make it easier.

Yes, I know those undercoats. :( They are a challenge. :( I bet Snowball was gorgeous. Yes, aloof is common. Yes, it can be a learning experience. Generic stereotypes of cats can only go so far, they have unique personalities.

OH MY!! I know, some cats look so alike. I have already gone up to a cat and thought it was one of mine and it turns out it was an unknown cat. Then there is some trait that says "wait a minute, this is a different cat!!"

Whew, I am glad that was solved. Yes, that can happen. Things get "out of whack". So glad it wasn't serious. Probably picked something up from the walk. :( It is so nice you work for and have a good relationship with the vet. SO helpful!!

Poor Stella but hopefully she is on her way to recovery. Fingers crossed. But seems like she will be fine. Whew.
I don't think my brother considers himself "macho," but my dad most definitely thinks he is (he's not). I'd say my brother is pretty much neutral with cats. I think my dad would like cats more than he thinks he would. He's one of those with the idea of cats being aloof jerks stuck in his head. It's funny because he thinks he's a dog person, but I think he'd be better off with cats. My mom thinks she's a cat person, but she has a better relationship with the dog than any of the cats.

No one meets my standards. I doesn't help that Ash gets glucosamine and a special food and is prone to UTIs. It's just more stuff to worry about. I still can't understand how the last person who watched them for us thought it was okay to give him so much glucosamine. She and I have very different definitions of "sprinkle."

They're impressive cats all around really. All of the shows were cancelled. They'd started trying to set some up again in June, but as far as I'm aware those ended up canceled as well. I do think they've started some events, but not sure how exactly it's all working. It's a big building with lots of outdoor space, so they could potential do some things with rather minimal risk. I miss the shows though. I only got to go once and I really wanted to meet more breeds, talk to more breeders...

He was a pretty cat, but not very affectionate. He never seemed to get over my mom bathing him either. She could hardly get near him without him running under the bed. If she needed to get a hold of him then I'd have to get him.

It is amazing how similar they can look, but then you can still pick out those tiny differences if you're observant enough. Instinct (neighbor's cat) looked a lot like Snowball except the coloring was just maybe a couple shades different and he had a slightly different build. Snowball seemed a bit wider though he could've been a bit overweight. Not sure at this point. They had very different meows though. Instinct was a sweet cat though. I petted him and he followed me home once. After that we helped fed him some and he'd come over every day. He was sort of the neighborhood cat. We all knew him and took care of him.

Stella finished all her medicine Sunday. Unfortunately, Monday morning she had some very soft poo. I mentioned it the vet and he gave me Proviable. She's been fine since that episode though. Her appetite has been a bit weird though. That's been an ongoing issue. I thought she was getting bored of her food so I got her a different flavor (salmon) and it seemed to help some, but not completely. Then she got itchy and I thought she was allergic to salmon, so I had to switch her again (grabbed a bag of Pure Harmony chicken food just to get her off the salmon). Then she ended up with diarrhea and her appetite decreased again, but it was hard to say if it was the same thing or because of the diarrhea. Now she's over the diarrhea, but her appetite still isn't the same. She eats treats normally. I think I'm going to get some wet food to try because she seemed to like the wet food the vet gave her with her medicine.
 

calicosrspecial

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So common. It is interesting to step back and watch from a distance to see the true picture. Sometimes we are too close to see it in ourselves etc. I am not surprised by what you are witnessing.

I am exactly like you. :/ Our standards are high because we love them so much.

Yes, they seem like they really are. Well, given the risk of this virus it is probably better to be safe than sorry. It is a really bad virus. :( There will always be times in the future for shows.

Yes, some cats do remember. :/ Baths can be very traumatic for some cats. :(

Awwwwww, that is sweet. Yes, there can be subtle differences but one has to be observant. I am sometimes in a rush and am not.:(

:( Poor Stella. Well, changing foods will do that. Appetites can be weird sometimes.At least her diarrhea is done now. AND she is eating the treats. So hopefully it is just the food wasn't interesting. Let's hope the wet food she likes. Let us know.
 

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I think it's a good reminder that what you want and what you need aren't always the same. It reminds me to always take a step back and make sure I know what I need from an animal rather than just look for what I want.

Which is why it would be easier to just not have them if I wanted to do some traveling. I doubt I'll ever manage that and it wouldn't be for very long if I did, but it's something to consider. I went to the allergist today and was reminded that it'd probably better for my health if I didn't have them...

Well, that is if we get this virus under control. It's not looking like anything is going to change for a while though. At this point I'm wondering how it'll affect our move since there's only a year left until I'm done at this college.

The last time I bathed Ember she wouldn't let me touch her for two hours. ☹ As if the look of complete and utter betrayal and despair she wore as I bathed her wasn't enough. I'm unwilling to do it anymore. Snowball has been the only cat who just never did get over it though.

I think it's interesting how my mom always wants to compare our animals to other animals. Every tortoiseshell looks like Ember. Every long haired white cat looks like Frost. Every long haired brown tabby looks like Ash. Every tricolor (and even many bicolor) dogs look like Stella. I very rarely agree with her because they're often different sizes, body structures, fur type, fur length, and shades of color. There are a lot of bi- and tri-color dogs, but not many have as pale of a brown as Stella does.

I haven't gotten the wet food yet. I forgot I had the allergist appointment today and haven't gotten myself back out. She ate fine this morning though. I do still plan on getting the wet food.
 

calicosrspecial

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SO TRUE!! YOU are so wise. And that thinking extends into all aspects of life really.

Well, maybe. I think you are right, it would be hard. Each person has to do what they think is best though. I was very allergic to cats when I was young. My body then corrected that thankfully. I was lucky. I hope your allergies get better also.

:( Yes. It probably gets worse before it gets better. Let's hope a vaccine comes quickly and works and people get it. Americans just don't seem to do what is necessary for the greater good. :( Plans and life really have been disrupted. I hope you can follow through on your plans sooner rather than later.

:( 2 hours isn't bad. I know, they really are something. I ask a cat to get off my lap and they think it is total betrayal. They can be a little ridiculous sometimes................................

Yes, people do do that. Sometimes it is more of a generic vs a specific look. Then when you look closer you see the nuance. I love when cats share similar behavioral traits.

I am so glad she ate well this morning. Good news!!!
 

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Well, it's a lot easier to see when you have people around you frustrated with the animal they supposedly prefer and want. I would say I'm a bit more adaptable in that I can handle both dogs and cats, but it still makes me think.

I think my allergist was hoping I'd come to my senses and get rid of my cats. He asked if I still had animals. Where does he think they would have gone to? Does he think they all died since I saw him last year? Because I'm not getting rid of them! It's weird to think I've been getting my shots for 3 1/2 years though. I only have 1 1/2 years left and I've had rather minimal change.

I hope it happens quickly, but I have a feeling it won't. Even when we do get a vaccination, it'll take a while for it to get to everyone. I would have to agree about Americans. It is a country of greed and convenience. I hope we can move soon. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be.

I know, but I've never had any of them hold a grudge against me before! And the look she had while I bathed it... It was devastating. I probably would have quit if she hadn't been all soapy. They are a bit ridiculous at times. Lol.

Stella seems to be eating normally again, but we did get some wet food anyway. Figure it'll help to be able to mix her Proviable in it anyway. She was really excited about it though, so I'm thinking about using a bit of wet food as a sort of topper for her breakfasts.
 

calicosrspecial

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So true. Adaptable is good in my opinion.

Hahahaha, I know. Doctors................. I fought through all the allergy problems. Then for some reason my body adapted. Whew, I was lucky. Yeah, I wonder maybe it helped in not making them worse?

I think you are probably correct (sadly). There are a lot of hurdles, etc. I know, I wish you could do what you want as well but sometimes we have to wait. :( I wish it could happen as scheduled. But I know you can handle whatever happens and everything will work out.

Oh I know, it is shocking. AND that look!!! Oh I know. Yes they are................ But I still love them!!!!

THAT IS WONDERFUL!!!! Great news. Whew. That is a good idea. Especially if she likes it.
 

calicosrspecial

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And yet there are berliners gathering and protesting the wearing of masks.
As in Germans? Hopefully a small group. Seems against the German culture (from an American perspective rightly or wrongly).Germans seem to tend to follow in lockstep (of course a total stereotype and there are always outliers everywhere).

I don't get it. All the science tells us that masks help reduce the spread (which reduces the transmission, stress, suffering, and deaths).

I just wish people thought of others more........................... :/
 

Animal Freak

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And yet there are berliners gathering and protesting the wearing of masks.
Oh, sure. As I say, anywhere there's people, there's idiots. But I'd still say the U.S. is the worst when it comes to not considering the country as a whole or even people's own communities. It's all about the individual and what's convenient for them.


So true. Adaptable is good in my opinion.

Hahahaha, I know. Doctors................. I fought through all the allergy problems. Then for some reason my body adapted. Whew, I was lucky. Yeah, I wonder maybe it helped in not making them worse?

I think you are probably correct (sadly). There are a lot of hurdles, etc. I know, I wish you could do what you want as well but sometimes we have to wait. :( I wish it could happen as scheduled. But I know you can handle whatever happens and everything will work out.

Oh I know, it is shocking. AND that look!!! Oh I know. Yes they are................ But I still love them!!!!

THAT IS WONDERFUL!!!! Great news. Whew. That is a good idea. Especially if she likes it.
Good in my opinion too because it means I don't have to be limited on breeds or species!

Well, I hope I'm that lucky! I love cats and even if I did somehow talk myself out of having them (not going to happen), I'd still be working with them in shelters. Allergies won't stop that. But it would be nice to not have to deal with the allergies. My allergies don't seem to spike quite as badly in the spring as they used to, but they do still get worse and I have them all year round what with having the cats.

I've been waiting for a while. :ohwell: And I've been waiting to move to get a dog! Not to mention I'd probably wait at least a year after moving to get one, so I'm already looking another two years... I don't know if I can wait longer! Hopefully things will work out that. We could be ready to move next summer... It's weird to think about.

The look... I can't handle it and my mom has been bugging me to bathe them lately. I can't. Doesn't help Ember has to attack Ash for a week after he's bathed.

Everything is still fine with Stella. She still seems to really like the wet food.
 

calicosrspecial

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:) SO TRUE!!!

I hope so too!!! The body is pretty amazing. It can be pretty adaptable. That is really good news they don;t spike as much in the spring as they did previously. Fingers crossed you are on the road to continued improvement.

:( I know. It is hard. But once you get another one............. It will be wonderful. It is pretty amazing you could move so soon. Things will happen for the best. I hope you and your mom are able to do what you want. You may miss your family a lot though. :/ There are always positives and negatives.

Oh I know. It crushes the heart. :( Oh my, yes, bathing is hard in a lot of ways. :(

GREAT!!!! So great to hear!!! I am so glad Stella is better now. Fingers crossed she is over the problem. Seems like it. Whew!! Good job on getting her healthy.
 

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Animal Freak

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Do they get stinky? Oily? Your mom likes to see their fur all fluffed out?

Probably not since you've been doing this awhile, but maybe there's something here that might help :)
How To Safely Bathe A Cat: The Complete Guide – TheCatSite Articles

After the bath maybe try a tiny drop of vanilla extract on the both of them, at the back of the neck, so they smell the same to each other.
They do smell a bit. Usually like litter. Nothing like the dog though! Even I have to give in and bathe her sometimes, especially since she sleeps in my bed. My mom claims it's because it helps my allergies, but I'm the one who has to live with those and the brief reprieve from allergies isn't worth the tension in my opinion.

They're honestly not that hard to bathe. Ash will try to jump over your head if you give him the chance, but you can see him planning it way before he tries it. Ember just looks at me like I've committed a horrible offense. Frost meows pathetically and goes to the opposite side of the bathtub. But it's time consuming, stressful for everyone involved, and leads to a week of fighting.

We've tried the vanilla. It's the same when Ash goes to the vet. Ember hates anything that alters his scent even a little and it can last a few days to a week depending on how drastic it is.


:) SO TRUE!!!

I hope so too!!! The body is pretty amazing. It can be pretty adaptable. That is really good news they don;t spike as much in the spring as they did previously. Fingers crossed you are on the road to continued improvement.

:( I know. It is hard. But once you get another one............. It will be wonderful. It is pretty amazing you could move so soon. Things will happen for the best. I hope you and your mom are able to do what you want. You may miss your family a lot though. :/ There are always positives and negatives.

Oh I know. It crushes the heart. :( Oh my, yes, bathing is hard in a lot of ways. :(

GREAT!!!! So great to hear!!! I am so glad Stella is better now. Fingers crossed she is over the problem. Seems like it. Whew!! Good job on getting her healthy.
I'll definitely be hoping for an improvement in my allergies. Preferably without losing my immunity though. I do actually have a good immunity and can usually fight off an illness in a couple of days.

Oh, I'll miss some of my family, but I'm kind of used to not seeing them anyway. I am missing one of my aunts currently, but she likes to travel, so she'll come see me! One of my other aunts would too, I think, and I know my dad, step mom, and sister will.

So I might've accidentally talked my mom into getting a dog before we move. :eek2: It wasn't intentional, I swear. I thought she'd talk some sense into me. But I mentioned that I've been thinking about it a lot (like, obsessively) and I got to think that socialization would actually be easier while we're here because we have family. People we know. An elderly lady lives next to us with her granddaughter and a pittie. We know their being careful and the dog is friendly. Family right behind us have two large dogs and a good sized fenced in yard. Wouldn't have to go inside. Plus we're finding all these good parks around us. So my mom said, "Well, let's just look and see what's around us for the heck of it." Well, of course I've done this. Several times. So I already knew there was a German shepherd rescue in the next state over. Looked them up and they have seven puppies! :eek: I never expected that. It's usually hard to find a GSD puppy. They recently got a momma dog who was abandoned. She's 10 years old and was found chained outside with no food or water. The guy who found her went to get her, but she started having puppies! She ended up having seven live puppies, four males which is what I'd like. They'll be ready to go home September 26th and their located about 3 hours or so away. So we think we're going to put in an application in and see how it goes. I still can't believe we're even thinking about it.
 
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