Desperately need advice

On Jun 2, 8:55 am, "Rene S." wrote:
What I want to know, if anyone has experience, is: would getting one
of those tunnels and letting her go outdoors once in awhile - with me
- calm down her need to escape, or would it make her thirst for
outside grow?

Because she is deaf, I would never leave her outdoors alone. Honestly
I don't think I would trust my cat to a tunnel. I would probably want
a secure structure or enclosure to keep her safe. Have you thought
about harness training her and taking her out that way?

Oh no, I would never leave her alone outside. She's a real trickster.
In fact, after I adopted her, the shelter emailed me to tell me that
she can get into places you'd never imagine (and get out of).

This little cat can flatten herself into a pancake and go under the
couch (two inches), or open the silverware drawer, totally flatten and
slither over the silverware to the back of the drawer, then drop down
into the cabinet below. Then she naps and eventually makes her way
out. I've never seen anything like it. That's why I've duct taped all
of the cabinets and drawers now. (And even then....I'm not kidding.)

I did try and get a harness, and it took her about a minute to figure
her way out of it. She's Houdini. That's why I was thinking of
something with a zipper....and with me right there.

On Jun 2, 11:32 am, "-Lost" wrote:

She sounds like a ridiculously large bundle of fun and unique
attitude. : ) I think you are truly blessed.


I think so, too. My older cat was so depressed when his older brother
died. It was to the point that the vet was considering medication if
he didn't come out of it.

I went to the Pet Smart to get him some food (this was just a couple
of weeks after D died), and they were having a shelter fair. Jas was
out front with a big sign "this cat is deaf." That sign seemed to
scare everyone off.

I thought it was too early to adopt another cat and tried to walk
away, but I could just feel D telling me to turn around and get her.
And I did. Jack came out of his depression and she's been a real joy.
I always feel like she saved him (and me..I was pretty heartbroken
too)

And she just ADORES Jack. (He's crazy about her too, but her side is
pure worship) I feel like D set the whole thing up and he's smiling at
us.

wrote
And she just ADORES Jack. (He's crazy about her too, but her side is
pure worship) I feel like D set the whole thing up and he's smiling at
us.

So I guess no pictures, eh?

On Jun 3, 6:02 pm, "cybercat" wrote:
wrote

And she just ADORES Jack. (He's crazy about her too, but her side is
pure worship) I feel like D set the whole thing up and he's smiling at
us.

So I guess no pictures, eh?

Yeah, check your email! I didn't want to post the url on the group
because I've got a slight stalker problem.

As I said in the email, she's very difficult to catch by camera unless
she's sleeping, so many of the pics are her at rest.

I do sing the song "Maria" from Sound of Music to her a lot (by
singing it on her back or tummy....she can't hear, but she feels it,
and when I do the pruh sound, the beginning of "pretty girl" she
immediately begins to purr)



How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

When I'm with her I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!

She'd outpester any pest
Drive a hornet from its nest
She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle! She is wild!
She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel!
She's a girl!

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

wrote in message
...
On Jun 3, 6:02 pm, "cybercat" wrote:
wrote

And she just ADORES Jack. (He's crazy about her too, but her side is
pure worship) I feel like D set the whole thing up and he's smiling at
us.

So I guess no pictures, eh?

Yeah, check your email! I didn't want to post the url on the group
because I've got a slight stalker problem.

As I said in the email, she's very difficult to catch by camera unless
she's sleeping, so many of the pics are her at rest.

I do sing the song "Maria" from Sound of Music to her a lot (by
singing it on her back or tummy....she can't hear, but she feels it,
and when I do the pruh sound, the beginning of "pretty girl" she
immediately begins to purr)



How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

When I'm with her I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!

She'd outpester any pest
Drive a hornet from its nest
She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle! She is wild!
She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel!
She's a girl!

How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

She is SO beautiful! I believe you may have posted a picture when you first
got her, (in a bathtub) and I save dit she was so beautiful!

I love that you sing to your cats, I do this too! I replace the lyrics with
personalized kitty lyrics, it's very stupid. They seem to enjoy it.

On Jun 4, 12:20 am, "cybercat" wrote:


She is SO beautiful! I believe you may have posted a picture when you first
got her, (in a bathtub) and I save dit she was so beautiful!

I love that you sing to your cats, I do this too! I replace the lyrics with
personalized kitty lyrics, it's very stupid. They seem to enjoy it.

Oh, thank you very much. She's literally doing somersaults right now;
I so wish I could capture some of these things on video, but like the
song says, she's a willow the wisp.

Personalized lyrics are never stupid. I sing very weird songs to Jack,
in a deep voice. They don't rhyme, there's no melody, but he enjoys
them. LOL.

Cats rock!

Response to "cybercat" :

snip "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, from The Sound Of
Music

She is SO beautiful! I believe you may have posted a picture when
you first got her, (in a bathtub) and I save dit she was so
beautiful!

I love that you sing to your cats, I do this too! I replace the
lyrics with personalized kitty lyrics, it's very stupid. They seem
to enjoy it.

Although I think I have ****ed you off to the point of kill-filing
me, I just have to say it is not stupid in the least (AND you know
it.) ; )

I sing to Gabby (and now Phat Kat) and it is probably the only time
the crazy ******* is not biting me.*

* Sorry, still finishing up the Sky vodka and Pure cranberry juice.

On another note, I noticed something funny along this line.

I seem to roughhouse with my dogs as if they are midget extreme
wrestlers. With my kitties -- although Gabby is twice as tough as
any dog I let own me -- I treat them like bags of marshmallow fluff.
WTF? *as i pull claws from my calf*

--
-Lost
Remove the extra words to reply by e-mail. Don't e-mail me. I am
kidding. No I am not.

Response to :

Message-ID:

Yeah, check your email! I didn't want to post the url on the group
because I've got a slight stalker problem.

Aawww, please send them to me too. If you have any difficulty
whatsoever let me know and I will e-mail you first.

She is SO beautiful! I believe you may have posted a picture when
you first got her, (in a bathtub) and I save dit she was so
beautiful!

I love that you sing to your cats, I do this too! I replace the
lyrics with personalized kitty lyrics, it's very stupid. They
seem to enjoy it.

Oh, thank you very much. She's literally doing somersaults right
now; I so wish I could capture some of these things on video, but
like the song says, she's a willow the wisp.

That is why you have to film constantly. I had my spouse use the
camera phone (Pocket PC nonsense?) to capture video whilst I shot
digital snapshots of Phat Kat's and Gabby's antics tonight.

And it was on the spouse's phone that the most AWESOME video was
shot. Phat Kat hissing loudly and Gabby as he got thump, thump,
thumped on his noggin by poor Phat Kat's cauliflower paws*.

* The sad as ****e term I have for Phat Kat's front paws -- which
were shy some toe knuckles when we found him.

Personalized lyrics are never stupid. I sing very weird songs to
Jack, in a deep voice. They don't rhyme, there's no melody, but he
enjoys them. LOL.

Cats rock!

Cats? Who the heck is talking about cats?

Seriously though -- I'd PayPal a few dollars to see your lovely lil'
lass "screaming" as you've put it.

Drunk as hell I sit here tearing up (who am I kidding, crying...) as
I think about how wonderful she must sound and how unique she must
be.

--
-Lost
Remove the extra words to reply by e-mail. Don't e-mail me. I am
kidding. No I am not.

"-Lost" wrote in message
...
Response to "cybercat" :

snip "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, from The Sound Of
Music

She is SO beautiful! I believe you may have posted a picture when
you first got her, (in a bathtub) and I save dit she was so
beautiful!

I love that you sing to your cats, I do this too! I replace the
lyrics with personalized kitty lyrics, it's very stupid. They seem
to enjoy it.

Although I think I have ****ed you off to the point of kill-filing
me, I just have to say it is not stupid in the least (AND you know
it.) ; )

It's not like I am keeping score.



I sing to Gabby (and now Phat Kat) and it is probably the only time
the crazy ******* is not biting me.*

* Sorry, still finishing up the Sky vodka and Pure cranberry juice.

On another note, I noticed something funny along this line.

I seem to roughhouse with my dogs as if they are midget extreme
wrestlers. With my kitties -- although Gabby is twice as tough as
any dog I let own me -- I treat them like bags of marshmallow fluff.
WTF? *as i pull claws from my calf*


Don't do this. Gabby will run all over you. Lavish her with love, but when
she acts out, express your firm and stern diapproval. Loud, sharp, abrupt
noises. No swats, no water squirts. Startle her. It works. And watch out,
because declawed cats tend to become biters and back-claw aggressive.

It is probably Phat Cat who is the one most likely to cause serious injury.

On May 31, 4:39*pm, wrote:
Thanks, both of you, for the replies!

Yes, the story IS hilarious now, though at the time I was nearly
hysterical. Usually the storms scare me and I'm in the basement, but
this was all about getting her back in and my fear was focused. She's
a real pip.

On the scaring....NOTHING scares her except strange men (lol), but I
can't hire men to stand at the door all the time. Pizza guys freak her
out, but I usually put her in the bathroom when I'm expecting pizza.

She does have a setup for birds - I have a regular birdfeeder attached
to the window and she gets finches, cardinals and her favorite:
mourning doves. Then in summer, I add a hummingbird feeder, and she
LOVES those. It's actually a beautiful sight: she and the hummingbirds
communicate. Somehow they realize she can't get them through the
window, and they leave the feeder, go to her eye level and fly in
place, just looking at her. Sometimes they dance around for her. It's
brought me to tears more than once, because it's just spectacular. (I
haven't been able to capture it on film yet...kind of like space
aliens.)

She also has her TV show (which I've posted about)...it's a tape of
birds and squirrels, and she watches it about 5-10 times a day. (And
then screams when it's over, and if I don't hop to and turn it back
on, she goes to the pantry and flings things off the shelf until I
do.)

I once called a pet radio show, when I was trying to figure out ways
to keep her off of certain things, and the vet suggested a pile of
ping pong balls. I've never actually tried that (because the apple bad
taste spray worked somewhat and I've built her some high shelves of
her own - she likes to be high up and survey her queendom)

I don't like the idea of water spray either, and I have this feeling
she'd think it was a game besides. (She's the most unusual little cat)
But maybe putting together a bag of ping pong balls, holding it above
the door, opening the inside door, and then dumping them on her when
she approaches might be worth a try.

The radio vet said to make a pile of balls, and when she jumped on
something, the balls would go flying and I guess scare her. I wondered
if she wouldn't just think it was all a new toy. But I may give this a
try.

This is a cat that puts her mice in my iced tea when I'm not looking.
I've had more than one mouth of toy mouse, and it's not a good taste.
(But funny and sweet)

BTW, I'll come out: I used to hang out a lot on this newsgroup under
the name

J u l s (spaces added for Googling)

I just made up this email to foil a stalker (not cat related) I've got
and don't want to use any names that could be googled.

I don't know who all is still around from the "old days," but I've
seen Phil P and Cat Protector (hi guys!). My first cat when I started
here was sweet boy D m i t r i and then we adopted J a c k from a
woman here who was dying. J a c k is still great..so happy. D passed
away three years ago.

The baby is J a s m i n e, although she's three now. She's still a
baby and so tiny compared to her brother.

I just didn't feel right posting without saying who this was.

J

Hi, J u l s, i remember you and D & J so much.

Candace