One fun night, when the weather by itself made it hard to sleep.
It was hot yesterday during the day, and after sleeping all day (okay, they do that when it's cool, too) last night the cats took crazy from the heat to new levels. Had I known when I went to bed, I would booted the boys and barred the door.
It was almost surreal, because for example Whitey never visits by the light of the moon, but he did several times last night. Likewise, Emily can't be chased from her habitat, but she fled last night.
As it was, after an initial 1:15 AM Cat Fu session we had at least two more, plus four or five single visits of kittens curling up in kitty furnance mode, and at least two rumbles between one of the boys and Emily.
It was way too much excitement.
[Later ... be sure to read Katherine's comments on the excitement.]
A blog for the feline overlords of the Summerhill Kitten Farm, a division of Kendra Electronic Wonderworks.
Saturday, July 31, 2004
Friday, July 30, 2004
Light Bulb Duty
Cats, of course, don't change light bulbs. They can see in the dark, and don't care if you can't.
But dogs are more helpful.
And like everything on web, everyone has their own version.
But dogs are more helpful.
And like everything on web, everyone has their own version.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Problem? What problem?
More boring litterboxes. I could get used to this... The liner engineering I did the other day seems to be working as well.
Emily in her Natural Habitat
The reason why the Billy wants to say hello to me at 5 AM instead of Katherine is because Emily is on guard.
That corner of the bed is nearest to the bedroom and litterbox closet doors, so it lets her keep an eye on things, like roaming kittens.
Emily stays within three feet of that corner of her bed 16 hours a day or more. Whereas the boys may sleep in any of three condos or other places like desks or office futons, she tends to only venture out from the bedroom for a an hour or two at most a day.
That corner of the bed is nearest to the bedroom and litterbox closet doors, so it lets her keep an eye on things, like roaming kittens.
Emily stays within three feet of that corner of her bed 16 hours a day or more. Whereas the boys may sleep in any of three condos or other places like desks or office futons, she tends to only venture out from the bedroom for a an hour or two at most a day.
Laundry Bin
The sort of things cats make you think about.
Because of the cats, ~ two weeks ago we replaced the laundry hamper (bin, actually).
The old bin used plastic tubing to hold three bags (light, medium, and dark); the tubes were only held together with friction fittings. The bags were only held up by their drawstrings being pulled tight (like a liner in a wastebasket). Also, cats could climb (or pull down) the open mesh bags.
(Quite frankly, the old bin was cheap junk, and bought only for its three bins.)
The new bin uses metal tubes with screw fittings. The new single bag is velcroed to the top of the frame, and with both a solid band at the bottom and a finer mesh up the sides, it is not as climbable and hangs in there when a cat paws at it.
One never regrets buying quality, especially if it makes the product cat proof.
Because of the cats, ~ two weeks ago we replaced the laundry hamper (bin, actually).
The old bin used plastic tubing to hold three bags (light, medium, and dark); the tubes were only held together with friction fittings. The bags were only held up by their drawstrings being pulled tight (like a liner in a wastebasket). Also, cats could climb (or pull down) the open mesh bags.
(Quite frankly, the old bin was cheap junk, and bought only for its three bins.)
The new bin uses metal tubes with screw fittings. The new single bag is velcroed to the top of the frame, and with both a solid band at the bottom and a finer mesh up the sides, it is not as climbable and hangs in there when a cat paws at it.
One never regrets buying quality, especially if it makes the product cat proof.
Third Watch
Everyone with four paws wanted to party overnight. Sheeeesh.
The main event was at 5 AM.
Biggest party animal was Billy, who after a hiatus of two weeks decided he wanted to curl up with me. Alas, he kept lying down where he was putting tension on the sheet, which makes me tense. I kept nudging him and finally he jumped down.
Then someone wanted to play with my shoes on the floor. I got up and tossed them in the closet.
Then Whitey wanted to play with the rolling laundry bin; that was it, I booted the boys and shut the door.
Emily wanted to be fed around 6:30 AM, but she wasn't obnoxious about it and she let me go back to sleep after I ignored her.
The main event was at 5 AM.
Biggest party animal was Billy, who after a hiatus of two weeks decided he wanted to curl up with me. Alas, he kept lying down where he was putting tension on the sheet, which makes me tense. I kept nudging him and finally he jumped down.
Then someone wanted to play with my shoes on the floor. I got up and tossed them in the closet.
Then Whitey wanted to play with the rolling laundry bin; that was it, I booted the boys and shut the door.
Emily wanted to be fed around 6:30 AM, but she wasn't obnoxious about it and she let me go back to sleep after I ignored her.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
The Toys of Summer (Watersports Division)
Back around July 14th we got a water fountain for the cats. All the cats (even Emily) like it over standing water in dishes.
A small pump sends a trickle of water through a carbon filter and tumbling down a slide. Whitey especially likes to drink off the waterfall itself.
Between the bowl and reservoir, it holds almost six liters. That means we can ignore it for days at a stretch.
A small pump sends a trickle of water through a carbon filter and tumbling down a slide. Whitey especially likes to drink off the waterfall itself.
Between the bowl and reservoir, it holds almost six liters. That means we can ignore it for days at a stretch.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Sanitation engineering
Hmmm..... The biggest problem with the covered litter boxes is that liquid accumulates on the liner and is then funneled out of the box and onto the floor (blech) through capillary action. The ideal box design would prevent that by fitting the lid inside, rather than outside, the box. I don't have an injection molding plant handy to try that, but what happens if I fold the liner over so that it drains back into the litter?
Monday, July 26, 2004
Sleeping on the Job
As promised, proof that Katherine needs to give the cats more room on her desk. Believe it or not, Whitey is sleeping in this position (and kicking her keyboard out of the way if he has to).
A Member of the Wedding
As noted, we attended my sister's wedding this weekend. My sister's cats were there, including Izzy.
We don't have much detail on Izzy, except like any Heisen cat, she refuses to pose for a camera. In her case, she refused to even look at Katherine until after the camera's battery died.
We don't have much detail on Izzy, except like any Heisen cat, she refuses to pose for a camera. In her case, she refused to even look at Katherine until after the camera's battery died.
Batting Practice
The boys have discovered a new game. This one is best played with medium-hard rubber balls, which are heavier than and not as bouncy as the Ping Pong balls used for kitten soccer.
The game begins when a human referee puts a ball in play by tossing it up the stairs to the landing. The ideal toss has just enough energy to roll and bounce back down the steps. Too soft, and the ball dies on the landing. Too hard, and it ricochets back down too quickly. An ideal toss gives the feline players a chance to bat the ball out of the air (sometimes becoming fully airborne themselves), pounce on it, wrestle with it, and dribble it down the stairs. Almost as much fun to watch as kitten soccer, and less work for the humans because the relatively confined playing field keeps balls from escaping.
The game begins when a human referee puts a ball in play by tossing it up the stairs to the landing. The ideal toss has just enough energy to roll and bounce back down the steps. Too soft, and the ball dies on the landing. Too hard, and it ricochets back down too quickly. An ideal toss gives the feline players a chance to bat the ball out of the air (sometimes becoming fully airborne themselves), pounce on it, wrestle with it, and dribble it down the stairs. Almost as much fun to watch as kitten soccer, and less work for the humans because the relatively confined playing field keeps balls from escaping.
Boredom is good
Boring litter boxes this morning. The secret to achieving litter box boredom appears to be litter box cleanliness. Which I sort of knew, but we're working out how the cats define "clean."
We've switched the boys over to feeding three times a day instead of free feeding. The goal is to prevent Emily from raiding the kitten food, and also to transition the boys down to feeding twice a day by the time they're six months old. (In August.) There is, of course, an adjustment period, which manifested itself as Emily being aggressively hungry at about 6 AM. Breakfast was served at 7 AM, about an hour earlier than normal.
The boys also went FRAP at about 5 AM. They stayed out of the bedroom, but the thuds emanating from Cat Fu practice in the hall still woke up the humans. Sigh...
We've switched the boys over to feeding three times a day instead of free feeding. The goal is to prevent Emily from raiding the kitten food, and also to transition the boys down to feeding twice a day by the time they're six months old. (In August.) There is, of course, an adjustment period, which manifested itself as Emily being aggressively hungry at about 6 AM. Breakfast was served at 7 AM, about an hour earlier than normal.
The boys also went FRAP at about 5 AM. They stayed out of the bedroom, but the thuds emanating from Cat Fu practice in the hall still woke up the humans. Sigh...
Saturday, July 24, 2004
While The Cat's (not) Away
We zoomed up to a wedding in upstate NY, and left the cats in the care of a twice a day cat sitter for 36 hours:
The results:
We are not impressed.
At least the little demons seemed happy to see us.
The results:
- Emily's food was left down (it's supposed to be up after 30 minutes). Nor was it in its normal dish.
- We had solid messes in the both upstairs hall and my office. We also had a wet puddle around my office litterbox.
- The litterbox scoop and and it's stand were in different rooms.
We are not impressed.
At least the little demons seemed happy to see us.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Help Desk
Katherine clearly needs to make more room on her desk for VIPs (Very Important Paws). Emily (who does occasionally get herself out of the bedroom) looks crowded there. We also now have published proof that Whitey thinks the keyboard can interfer with naps.
(Updated for the link to Whitey on 07/26/2004.)
(Updated for the link to Whitey on 07/26/2004.)
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Crazy from the Heat?
One of those nights.
I think the felines all slept during the day more than they normally do because it was fairly warm. Whatever the reason, it left the boys fully charged for 4 AM Cat Fu, not to mention climbing practice. Emily was also awake, both prowling and growling.
At once point, I was dead asleep when a cat, probably Billy, walked on me. Big mistake on his part, my reflex was to kick my pinned legs and he went flying. I think it was under his own power, that is to say he fled before the tidal wave nailed him.
I think the felines all slept during the day more than they normally do because it was fairly warm. Whatever the reason, it left the boys fully charged for 4 AM Cat Fu, not to mention climbing practice. Emily was also awake, both prowling and growling.
At once point, I was dead asleep when a cat, probably Billy, walked on me. Big mistake on his part, my reflex was to kick my pinned legs and he went flying. I think it was under his own power, that is to say he fled before the tidal wave nailed him.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Who's really in charge?
One of my favorite cartoonists is clearly a cat owner. Hilary B. Price, who draws Rhymes with Orange, has assembled a gallery of cat cartoons on her site. It isn't complete, but it's a start.
Litterbox Thumping
Wonderful.
Last night we got a desk chair mat to protect the floor under the litter boxes in Emily's suite. It got put to the test overnight.
Someone sprayed urine about the open box in Emily's suite this morning leaving a lovely puddle. As bonus the covered box next to it proved that like convertible tops, seams can leak. In this case, urine sprayed on the back wall of the box seemed down and out instead of down and in.
We didn't need the mat tested quite so well so fast. Yeech.
Last night we got a desk chair mat to protect the floor under the litter boxes in Emily's suite. It got put to the test overnight.
Someone sprayed urine about the open box in Emily's suite this morning leaving a lovely puddle. As bonus the covered box next to it proved that like convertible tops, seams can leak. In this case, urine sprayed on the back wall of the box seemed down and out instead of down and in.
We didn't need the mat tested quite so well so fast. Yeech.
Tunnel of Love
Here's a picture of Billy in the shortest of the condos.
This is the one that started in the hall but moved to the bedroom, where I spiked it with catnip a few days ago.
This is the one that started in the hall but moved to the bedroom, where I spiked it with catnip a few days ago.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
The Not Quite Daily Stench
Best I can figure, Emily has no depth perception. We're still getting seemingly random litter box near misses. We know it's Emily because it happens to boxes that the boys don't have access to, and also because her umm output is greater. (Think dilute calico racehorse.)They're near misses, and she doesn't miss all the time, so it's not an outright rejection of the box or the litter. Clearly it's time to try transitioning her to a covered box again.
No mews is good good mews
Litterboxes were boring this morning, and the cats, roaming free, didn't raise much of fuss last night.
Billy did come to visit twice at an odd hours. Once he got the The Mist of Doom for toe pouncing, but no hard feelings. He came back after a while and got petted and then gently shooed.
Emily is still scaring the boys. I actually gave her TMOD for growling, which is not an approved reason to discharge it. Aw, hell...
Billy did come to visit twice at an odd hours. Once he got the The Mist of Doom for toe pouncing, but no hard feelings. He came back after a while and got petted and then gently shooed.
Emily is still scaring the boys. I actually gave her TMOD for growling, which is not an approved reason to discharge it. Aw, hell...
Penthouse Pet
Below is a picture of Whitey in the upstairs hall condo.
This condo is basically three posts supporting two square platforms (three if you count the ground floor) and the round penthouse. Not obvious is that the penthouse has a cat sized hole in the floor for climbing up (or attacking) from the third story.
Other items in the background are the hall window to the left (nice real estate always has a good view), and the HP LaserJet printer behind the condo to the right. The printer is due for booby trapping, we can't have cat hair in our toner ...
This condo is basically three posts supporting two square platforms (three if you count the ground floor) and the round penthouse. Not obvious is that the penthouse has a cat sized hole in the floor for climbing up (or attacking) from the third story.
Other items in the background are the hall window to the left (nice real estate always has a good view), and the HP LaserJet printer behind the condo to the right. The printer is due for booby trapping, we can't have cat hair in our toner ...
Monday, July 19, 2004
Calico Punks on Dope
The truth is out! Emily likes catnip! We thought she was immune (20% to 50% of cats are, depending who you ask), but rather it would appear we didn't use enough previously. I was spiking the tube in the short condo in her suite for the boys when she climbed in it and got real happy.
Let's just say we have a whole house full of happy cats tonight.
Let's just say we have a whole house full of happy cats tonight.
Home On The Range
The bedroom access cold war continues. We cloistered the boys last night so Emily could roam free, but my soft heart let them out at 3 AM when I heard soft meowing.
Billy more or less promptly wandered on the bed and curled up with me, but I gently nudged him off after petting him and he didn't come back. All was peaceful for rest of the night.
(Now, the bedroom window/fan configuration to keep all the humans cool and quiet in this summer weather is another story ... but that's not for this blog, since the cats are happy with the weather.)
Billy more or less promptly wandered on the bed and curled up with me, but I gently nudged him off after petting him and he didn't come back. All was peaceful for rest of the night.
(Now, the bedroom window/fan configuration to keep all the humans cool and quiet in this summer weather is another story ... but that's not for this blog, since the cats are happy with the weather.)
Saturday, July 17, 2004
The Toys of Summer (Furniture Division)
It's official. The cats now have three condos. We got the first one for the living room as part of our major league PetCo run before we picked up the cats. The second showed up ~ a week later so the boys had a place to hang out in the master bedroom, AKA Emily's Suite. The third, smaller one, arrived yesterday. It gives them a vacation home within a home in the upstairs hall, for when they are booted out of the master bedroom.
Why do they get three? Because they use them, which is all the endorsement we need.
Speaking of booting, Katherine thought we need to let in the boys back in the bedroom at night. Yea, right. We left the door open and Billy showed up at 3 AM and wanted to sleep against my legs. Just what I needed, a feline furnance I am afraid of rolling over on. Ejection followed.
(Later -- I should note we actually swapped the tall one out to the hall and the short one into the bedroom, because the printer stander in the hall was taller than the condo. That fact caused Whitey to prefer the printer ....)
Why do they get three? Because they use them, which is all the endorsement we need.
Speaking of booting, Katherine thought we need to let in the boys back in the bedroom at night. Yea, right. We left the door open and Billy showed up at 3 AM and wanted to sleep against my legs. Just what I needed, a feline furnance I am afraid of rolling over on. Ejection followed.
(Later -- I should note we actually swapped the tall one out to the hall and the short one into the bedroom, because the printer stander in the hall was taller than the condo. That fact caused Whitey to prefer the printer ....)
Thursday, July 15, 2004
The Good, the Bad, and the Hungry
Random notes from past two days ...
I took yesterday off from this because the morning started okay and then crashed badly. After it, I needed a break from cats.
Source of the crash was that the gentle kicking the laundry basket out of my way caused the bedroom to be perfumed with the smell of cat guano. (Actually, it stank of cat sh-t, pure and simple). Someone (no suspects) had made a mess, and kicking the basket out of the way caused the mess to spread like peanut butter off a knife. The basket was full to boot, so I had to empty it one piece at time before I could toss the basket in the shower to clean it.
Side note: our deodorizer spray is killing the finish on our hardwood floors. Aw, hell.
Later, someone (Emily?) also dumped cat gauno on the news paper in front of the litter box during the day while I was gone. Depressing, but not nearly the headache the morning was.
I've kicked the boys out of the bedroom when I went to bed both of the last two nights, and I've gotten decent sleep for a change. I swear, lights off the previous few nights was an excuse for them to go into FRAP. Experiments have shown letting them in any time before reveille causes them to be warm and friendly -- which is not what you want when trying to sleep.
At least Billy seems to be learning not to pounce on my moving parts in bed.
Finally, Emily is being quite affectionate this morning, no doubt because with her suite door closed she missed her midnight raid on the boys' food, and now with the door open I've pulled up the boys' food until 8 AM when I will feed everyone.
I took yesterday off from this because the morning started okay and then crashed badly. After it, I needed a break from cats.
Source of the crash was that the gentle kicking the laundry basket out of my way caused the bedroom to be perfumed with the smell of cat guano. (Actually, it stank of cat sh-t, pure and simple). Someone (no suspects) had made a mess, and kicking the basket out of the way caused the mess to spread like peanut butter off a knife. The basket was full to boot, so I had to empty it one piece at time before I could toss the basket in the shower to clean it.
Side note: our deodorizer spray is killing the finish on our hardwood floors. Aw, hell.
Later, someone (Emily?) also dumped cat gauno on the news paper in front of the litter box during the day while I was gone. Depressing, but not nearly the headache the morning was.
I've kicked the boys out of the bedroom when I went to bed both of the last two nights, and I've gotten decent sleep for a change. I swear, lights off the previous few nights was an excuse for them to go into FRAP. Experiments have shown letting them in any time before reveille causes them to be warm and friendly -- which is not what you want when trying to sleep.
At least Billy seems to be learning not to pounce on my moving parts in bed.
Finally, Emily is being quite affectionate this morning, no doubt because with her suite door closed she missed her midnight raid on the boys' food, and now with the door open I've pulled up the boys' food until 8 AM when I will feed everyone.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Thoroughly Meowing Millie
We have a photo of another honorary kitten farm member. My sister Cat is the primary valet for Millie. Millie is four years old and lives with her valets in Kentucky.
She's your typical semi-neurotic cat--smart enough to be afraid of young boys, and just as Emily owns the Kitten Farm's master bedroom, the Kentucky guest room is Millie's; she will express her displeasure at intruders.
She's your typical semi-neurotic cat--smart enough to be afraid of young boys, and just as Emily owns the Kitten Farm's master bedroom, the Kentucky guest room is Millie's; she will express her displeasure at intruders.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Pavlov's Cat
As Katherine would say, problem? What problem?
I'm working from home, for reasons not driven by the cats, but it does allow me to watch them during a work day, when I am more out of their way. After some morning forays by the kittens across my desk, most of the day they all spent napping. No fights, even when Billy, Emily, and I all napped on her bed.
I am wounded, but it wasn't a cat. Rather, that came from our 20 year old +2 hit point +2 stealth glass coffee table, which nailed my shin when I was looking for Whitey after he meowed a few minutes ago. Whitey was fine of course, just another random "has anyone seen my tail" query. However, he did remind me that it was litter box time.
Why does Whitey remind me of litter box time? Because if he sees one being cleaned, he has to use it. This afternoon he set a record, using the downstairs box and both of the boxes in Emily's suite in under ten minutes. (He actually didn't have anything to contribute to the middle of the three boxes, but hey, he tried.) Must be Pavlovian reflex or something. Of course, because we want to encourage them using the boxes, we have to wait when he does his duty. I need to remember to close the closest doors more ...
I'm working from home, for reasons not driven by the cats, but it does allow me to watch them during a work day, when I am more out of their way. After some morning forays by the kittens across my desk, most of the day they all spent napping. No fights, even when Billy, Emily, and I all napped on her bed.
I am wounded, but it wasn't a cat. Rather, that came from our 20 year old +2 hit point +2 stealth glass coffee table, which nailed my shin when I was looking for Whitey after he meowed a few minutes ago. Whitey was fine of course, just another random "has anyone seen my tail" query. However, he did remind me that it was litter box time.
Why does Whitey remind me of litter box time? Because if he sees one being cleaned, he has to use it. This afternoon he set a record, using the downstairs box and both of the boxes in Emily's suite in under ten minutes. (He actually didn't have anything to contribute to the middle of the three boxes, but hey, he tried.) Must be Pavlovian reflex or something. Of course, because we want to encourage them using the boxes, we have to wait when he does his duty. I need to remember to close the closest doors more ...
Third Watch
Last night was not bad per se, but not as smooth as one would want.
After lights out, the boys were stalking Emily, and The Mist of Doom came out more than once.
5 AM, I wake up to the smell of cat guano, and after 20 minutes lying awake and three checks of the closet (was it even there the first time?) I find someone (Emily?) missed the box. I grab handy cardboard and flip the mess into the box, and cover it with litter to kill the smell until I do real maintenance at 8 AM.
Back to bed.
6:45 AM, Emily is gone and the boys are loving the freedom. Billy jumps from floor to my chest and curls up between my legs, where after a minute he gets (you guessed it) The Mist of Doom for attacking my toes. He doesn't actually bolt, but settles down in a position that will keep me awake. Aw, hell, he's a nice kitten.
Then Whitey leaps from the cat condo to the bed, also landing hard on me. (It's so nice to be loved.) But his heart is pure, and no Mist shall envelope him just for wanting to join his brother.
I give up after a minute, and get up, just in time to see Emily walking up the hall to the bedroom, where I can see the boys, minding their own business on the (her) bed. She jumps up and freaks at the apparent sudden intrusion, hissing and growing like she is ready to rumble. The boys retreat, and I dive for the The Mist of Doom. The Mist descends a bit late, no doubt accidentally telling Emily she's bad for just being on the bed. Aw, hell.
The mist sends her AWOL again (checking after 20 minutes, she's asleep on the bed).
What alarm clocks.
I was going to give up caffeine this week. Really, I was.
After lights out, the boys were stalking Emily, and The Mist of Doom came out more than once.
5 AM, I wake up to the smell of cat guano, and after 20 minutes lying awake and three checks of the closet (was it even there the first time?) I find someone (Emily?) missed the box. I grab handy cardboard and flip the mess into the box, and cover it with litter to kill the smell until I do real maintenance at 8 AM.
Back to bed.
6:45 AM, Emily is gone and the boys are loving the freedom. Billy jumps from floor to my chest and curls up between my legs, where after a minute he gets (you guessed it) The Mist of Doom for attacking my toes. He doesn't actually bolt, but settles down in a position that will keep me awake. Aw, hell, he's a nice kitten.
Then Whitey leaps from the cat condo to the bed, also landing hard on me. (It's so nice to be loved.) But his heart is pure, and no Mist shall envelope him just for wanting to join his brother.
I give up after a minute, and get up, just in time to see Emily walking up the hall to the bedroom, where I can see the boys, minding their own business on the (her) bed. She jumps up and freaks at the apparent sudden intrusion, hissing and growing like she is ready to rumble. The boys retreat, and I dive for the The Mist of Doom. The Mist descends a bit late, no doubt accidentally telling Emily she's bad for just being on the bed. Aw, hell.
The mist sends her AWOL again (checking after 20 minutes, she's asleep on the bed).
What alarm clocks.
I was going to give up caffeine this week. Really, I was.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Guardian Kitty
Honorable mention needs to go Sasha, who below is watching over a collapsed Whitey two days after he arrived in June.
Sasha is a plush Siberian Tiger kitten, and as such is the closest link of our 100 or plush creatures to the self propelled ones. Of course, the self propelled ones view her as part of the furniture, but she can deal with that.
Sasha is a plush Siberian Tiger kitten, and as such is the closest link of our 100 or plush creatures to the self propelled ones. Of course, the self propelled ones view her as part of the furniture, but she can deal with that.
The little old feline from Pasadena
It's the weekend, and Emily is on prowl again in all her glory. She was out and about this morning, including making regular trips down the length of the hall to my office to raid the kitten's food and water. I saw her in the office at least twice, and two other times she was zipping back to her suite just as I came into the hall.
We want Emily out and about, of course, and we don't mind her smoking OP's, as the boys have plenty. We do continue to mind that she'll growl at anything awake on four legs in her path.
[Later -- to keep her more honest, we'll pull up all food dishes an hour before meal time.]
We want Emily out and about, of course, and we don't mind her smoking OP's, as the boys have plenty. We do continue to mind that she'll growl at anything awake on four legs in her path.
[Later -- to keep her more honest, we'll pull up all food dishes an hour before meal time.]
Kitten Soccer
Kitten soccer is simple; a ball is put in play, and the first feline player to reach it bats it. The ball tends to take off, like a prey, so the players hunt it down again and take another swing. Advanced players can dribble the ball between their paws, and if the ball doesn't get away it will sometimes be used as a punching dummy for Cat Fu kata.
Kitten soccer does require a regulation ball. A variety six pack of toy balls include belled whiffle balls, solid rubber balls, textured hard plastic balls with small rattles and others. However, the only ball which meets the needs of kitten soccer is the basic ping pong ball. That's because it is the lightest of the bunch, giving both horizontal and vertical lively movement.
The kitten farm now has something on the order of a dozen psychedelic ping pong balls, all but one hidden from human view and mostly out of kitten paw reach. That's because when playing kitten soccer the Bleacher Bums knock them around like the Red Sox taking batting practice -- not many stay in the park.
In fact, most kitten soccer games are started by a human groundskeeper/referee who has gone searching for lost balls and puts one in play. Likewise, the game ends when either the feline players lose interest (likely if the ball is not regulation) or the ball has gone into foul territory where the cats can't (or won't) retrieve it.
Kitten soccer does require a regulation ball. A variety six pack of toy balls include belled whiffle balls, solid rubber balls, textured hard plastic balls with small rattles and others. However, the only ball which meets the needs of kitten soccer is the basic ping pong ball. That's because it is the lightest of the bunch, giving both horizontal and vertical lively movement.
The kitten farm now has something on the order of a dozen psychedelic ping pong balls, all but one hidden from human view and mostly out of kitten paw reach. That's because when playing kitten soccer the Bleacher Bums knock them around like the Red Sox taking batting practice -- not many stay in the park.
In fact, most kitten soccer games are started by a human groundskeeper/referee who has gone searching for lost balls and puts one in play. Likewise, the game ends when either the feline players lose interest (likely if the ball is not regulation) or the ball has gone into foul territory where the cats can't (or won't) retrieve it.
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Daily Stench Double Feature
The string of boring litter box reports was broken far too soon.
Mid-morning, we found that a cat had urinated in our empty laundry baskets ~ 2 feet from the open and closed litterboxes in Emily's suite.
This afternoon, we found that a cat had dumped and barely missed the downstairs litter box. Fortunately, the cat in question no longer had diarraha, and we had put down newspaper which caught most of it.
The downstairs box was just swapped for the (topless) bottom of a covered box. I wonder if the added height (even sans top) caused the cat to not want to go into it?
Also, Katherine just got on a plane for San Francisco; I'm the 24 hour cat valet for the next five + days.
Mid-morning, we found that a cat had urinated in our empty laundry baskets ~ 2 feet from the open and closed litterboxes in Emily's suite.
This afternoon, we found that a cat had dumped and barely missed the downstairs litter box. Fortunately, the cat in question no longer had diarraha, and we had put down newspaper which caught most of it.
The downstairs box was just swapped for the (topless) bottom of a covered box. I wonder if the added height (even sans top) caused the cat to not want to go into it?
Also, Katherine just got on a plane for San Francisco; I'm the 24 hour cat valet for the next five + days.
Silent Night
Another quiet night, almost too quiet.
It seems the boys,left on their own over night, accidently closed the door to my office, trapping themselves in it. Fortunately for all concerned, that's their official time-out room, with food, water, and litter box. So at least their self-imprisonment was reasonably comfortable.
It seems the boys,left on their own over night, accidently closed the door to my office, trapping themselves in it. Fortunately for all concerned, that's their official time-out room, with food, water, and litter box. So at least their self-imprisonment was reasonably comfortable.
Friday, July 9, 2004
Nap time
It's Friday! Sounds like a great excuse (as if one were needed) for a gratuitous cute kitten photo. (Click the image for a larger version.)
No comment?
We're told there are some problems with the comment functionality. Working on it.
[later - fixed, had a bad configuration setting in MovableType. -ahd-]
[later - fixed, had a bad configuration setting in MovableType. -ahd-]
Boring is good
Litter box duty was boring this morning. Boring is good. I'd much rather play with the cats than clean up after them.
Whitey will now let me trim his toenails without even really waking up from his nap. Billy makes a little more fuss: we're still in the trim one or two nails and call it a day stage. Emily still gets grumpy when I handle her paws. All that advice about teaching cats to tolerate handling when they're kittens is dead accurate.
Whitey will now let me trim his toenails without even really waking up from his nap. Billy makes a little more fuss: we're still in the trim one or two nails and call it a day stage. Emily still gets grumpy when I handle her paws. All that advice about teaching cats to tolerate handling when they're kittens is dead accurate.
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Useful cat terms
Frenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAP) are when otherwise normal cats become psychotic. Chasing their own tails, pouncing on bits of lint, running around the house at high speed, that sort of thing. If you're lucky, it happens when you're around to watch the show. If you're not lucky, it happens at 3 AM whether you want to watch the show or not. Kitten FRAP is distinguishable from normal kitten activity by even higher than normal energy and randomness. A normal kitten will chase a Ping Pong ball. A kitten in FRAP will chase a piece of lint that came off the cat tree.
Cat Fu is a highly developed feline martial art. Its core movement involves holding the other cat's head with your front paws while rapidly pummeling him with your back paws. All other components of cat fu -- pouncing, stalking, etc. -- are simply means to this goal.
Heisen Cats illustrate the well-known Uncertainty Principle: the act of observing changes that which is observed. For example, getting your camera (or calling your spouse) to take a picture of (or watch) something adorable that your cat is doing will cause him to stop doing it and pounce on the camera instead.
Cat Fu is a highly developed feline martial art. Its core movement involves holding the other cat's head with your front paws while rapidly pummeling him with your back paws. All other components of cat fu -- pouncing, stalking, etc. -- are simply means to this goal.
Heisen Cats illustrate the well-known Uncertainty Principle: the act of observing changes that which is observed. For example, getting your camera (or calling your spouse) to take a picture of (or watch) something adorable that your cat is doing will cause him to stop doing it and pounce on the camera instead.
For Sale: Three Cat Collars, with Bells
When we got the cats, we got collars with bells for each of them to announce his/her presence and thus avoid human/cat collisions.
(When I was ~ 11 years old, one of my sisters stepped on a beloved catten by mistake and broke its back. We were all a little traumatized, and got bells for the remaining cattens).
Not surprising, the collars were originally too big for the boys, and we set them aside.
Noticing how the kittens have grown, especially Billy, I got the collars out and put them on all three cats this morning.
All three cats freaked out, each in their own unique way.
Emily hid under the bed. She came out after a while, but was flakier than normal.
Billy tried chasing his own neck and then moved on to scratching his ringing flea for ~ 30 minutes.
Whitey tried running away from his bell (damn that cat can move), and then settled down and took the collar off. Twice. I didn't see how he did it, but I suspect he hooked a paw under it and pushed until the safety latch popped. Since he had the smallest neck and I had adjusted the collar all the way down for him (but it still had some slack), this is not a complete shock.
Seeing how unhappy they all were and how Whitey had gotten MTTF down to minutes, I relented. We now have three spare collars...
(When I was ~ 11 years old, one of my sisters stepped on a beloved catten by mistake and broke its back. We were all a little traumatized, and got bells for the remaining cattens).
Not surprising, the collars were originally too big for the boys, and we set them aside.
Noticing how the kittens have grown, especially Billy, I got the collars out and put them on all three cats this morning.
All three cats freaked out, each in their own unique way.
Emily hid under the bed. She came out after a while, but was flakier than normal.
Billy tried chasing his own neck and then moved on to scratching his ringing flea for ~ 30 minutes.
Whitey tried running away from his bell (damn that cat can move), and then settled down and took the collar off. Twice. I didn't see how he did it, but I suspect he hooked a paw under it and pushed until the safety latch popped. Since he had the smallest neck and I had adjusted the collar all the way down for him (but it still had some slack), this is not a complete shock.
Seeing how unhappy they all were and how Whitey had gotten MTTF down to minutes, I relented. We now have three spare collars...
Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Boxes Ho ...
Whitey has diarrhea again (or still. What is that kid eating?) At least he used the box (in my office, not Emily's suite).
The covered box didn't get used as much as the open box next to it in Emily's suite overnight, but it caught at least one miss.
No other litterbox problems, hooray!
(Later -- Billy has diarrhea too again. Also used box. Hooray...)
Billy did wake us up in the middle of the night wanting to play with us, Whitey, or the mesh laundry hamper, but kicking him and Whitey out of the master bedroom solved that.
Emily was her polite self (especially after we kicked those pesky boys out), but as we woke up she was aggressively friendly (biting on Katherine's hair and touching my mustache). We think that's cat for "feed me now". She got fed at her usual time anyway.
The covered box didn't get used as much as the open box next to it in Emily's suite overnight, but it caught at least one miss.
No other litterbox problems, hooray!
(Later -- Billy has diarrhea too again. Also used box. Hooray...)
Billy did wake us up in the middle of the night wanting to play with us, Whitey, or the mesh laundry hamper, but kicking him and Whitey out of the master bedroom solved that.
Emily was her polite self (especially after we kicked those pesky boys out), but as we woke up she was aggressively friendly (biting on Katherine's hair and touching my mustache). We think that's cat for "feed me now". She got fed at her usual time anyway.
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
The Bleacher Bums at Play
This one of our original pictures of the boys, taken the night they arrived.
The stripe at the left is really a dot in motion from a laser pointer, a item they will chase with such vigor it shows you can herd cats ... if you make them think it is their idea.
The stripe at the left is really a dot in motion from a laser pointer, a item they will chase with such vigor it shows you can herd cats ... if you make them think it is their idea.
With six you get egg roll
When all else fails, throw hardware at it.
We've thrown more hardware at the possible litterbox problems, in particular adding a second litterbox to the busiest location in the house, Emily's suite. This also let us put the cover back on the other newer litterbox in her suite. We'll see what gets used more.
With three regular litterboxes set up, two covered litterboxes (one in use, the other waiting for deployment, and an automated LitterMaid which we ran for a while but currently also have set aside, we have six litterbox for three cats. This in a house with one bathroom for the two humans.
We've thrown more hardware at the possible litterbox problems, in particular adding a second litterbox to the busiest location in the house, Emily's suite. This also let us put the cover back on the other newer litterbox in her suite. We'll see what gets used more.
With three regular litterboxes set up, two covered litterboxes (one in use, the other waiting for deployment, and an automated LitterMaid which we ran for a while but currently also have set aside, we have six litterbox for three cats. This in a house with one bathroom for the two humans.
The daily stench ... uncovered!
The failure (of Emily, we think) to use the covered box last night caused us to leave the cover off overnight. However, the open box allowed us to be greeted this morning by the mess of misses (liquid and solid on opposite sides of the litter box), and a reminder of why we want the covered box in the first place. Sigh...
One note is that we think Emily was again the evil doer this morning. How evil is in question, since the box seemed full (even after a late evening cleaning), perhaps because of the tight liner.
Katherine will replace that liner this afternoon.
One note is that we think Emily was again the evil doer this morning. How evil is in question, since the box seemed full (even after a late evening cleaning), perhaps because of the tight liner.
Katherine will replace that liner this afternoon.
Monday, July 5, 2004
Well, maybe not
Okay, we have a resounding vote of no confidence in the covered litter box, demonstrated by refusal to use it. More adjustment time needed.... (and perhaps bigger litter box liners, as our new covered boxes are huge and makes the current liner seem more like a stretched tarp than a solid floor).
Emily, on the prowl
Emily, normally quite sedate, was quite the adventurer over the weekend. She seemed all over the house prowling during the day. Perhaps she was emboldened by the boys being confined at night.
We don't mind her defending her bed (it used to be our bed, actually) and even her suite (the master bedroom and associated closet). In particular we find her blameless to hiss at Billy if he stalks her when she's relaxing.
Unfortunately, she's trying expand to her personal zone to include whereever she goes, and according to Katherine she attacked Billy as they were going through the same door in opposite directions. Random swings at Billy when he's minding his own business are not to be tolerated.
Use of The Mist of Doom (plant mister spray bottle) and even The Dome of Doom (an upside down wastebasket) have been approved if she causes trouble unprovoked.
The tricky part is to ignore the occasional growl but never allow physical contact when dealing with creatures that define the term cat-like reflexes.
We don't mind her defending her bed (it used to be our bed, actually) and even her suite (the master bedroom and associated closet). In particular we find her blameless to hiss at Billy if he stalks her when she's relaxing.
Unfortunately, she's trying expand to her personal zone to include whereever she goes, and according to Katherine she attacked Billy as they were going through the same door in opposite directions. Random swings at Billy when he's minding his own business are not to be tolerated.
Use of The Mist of Doom (plant mister spray bottle) and even The Dome of Doom (an upside down wastebasket) have been approved if she causes trouble unprovoked.
The tricky part is to ignore the occasional growl but never allow physical contact when dealing with creatures that define the term cat-like reflexes.
The daily stench ...
We let all three cats roam the house over night; the boys had been confined to my office the past few nights since their digestive tracts have been acting up.
My dawn patrol showed no visible accidents today from the fursome threesome. However, an old stain by the back door of the kitchen has quite the stench of cat urine. Katherine (re)doused it with odor neutralizer.
My dawn patrol showed no visible accidents today from the fursome threesome. However, an old stain by the back door of the kitchen has quite the stench of cat urine. Katherine (re)doused it with odor neutralizer.
Sunday, July 4, 2004
Enclosed Litterboxes
A pair of enclosed litter boxes have been obtained, and Katherine set one up as Emily's primary box (sans the cover). We'll cover it tomorrow.
Petco, our home away from home...
Petco, our home away from home...
Introduction to Billy
Billy is the larger and more aggressive of the two kittens. He's more likely to stalk Emily, and slower to back off when she complains. If cats have Alphas, he's it.
Click the thumbnail to see a larger picture of Billy.
Click the thumbnail to see a larger picture of Billy.
Monthly Weigh-In
Emily weighs 7.0 pounds. That's a slight gain since we adopted her. Since she's both mature and relatively sedentary, we'll want to make sure her weight stays pretty stable.
Whitey weighs 5.5 pounds. Also a gain since we've had him, as expected for a growing kitten.
Billy is growing more rapidly than his brother, weighing in at 7.5 pounds.
All of these weights are extracted from human + cat weights, using a scale for humans. The kitchen scale would be more accurate, but we haven't figured out how to get them to sit on it yet.
Whitey weighs 5.5 pounds. Also a gain since we've had him, as expected for a growing kitten.
Billy is growing more rapidly than his brother, weighing in at 7.5 pounds.
All of these weights are extracted from human + cat weights, using a scale for humans. The kitchen scale would be more accurate, but we haven't figured out how to get them to sit on it yet.
Introduction to Emily
Click on the thumb nail picture below for a larger picture of Emily. It was taken here at the kitten farm on June 17, 2004.
Emily is a dilute calico, born 10/02/1989. Sadly, after her owner's daughter moved in with a second cat, Emily developed litter box problems. Her owner took Emily to a vet to have her put down. The vet declined, because for a 14 year old cat Emily is in very good health. PAWS of Wakefield found her a foster home until we visited and adopted her the same day we picked up the boys.
While Emily is not perfect with her litterbox (lousy aim every few days), we suspect the previous owner's problem was the classic too many cats making the litterbox dirty. Here at the kitten farm, we have three litterboxes, all cleaned at least twice daily.
Emily is a rather sedate and regal cat. Alas, she doesn't especially like the boys. They didn't do anything for their cause by stalking her repeatedly the first few days we were all one big happy family.
Emily is a dilute calico, born 10/02/1989. Sadly, after her owner's daughter moved in with a second cat, Emily developed litter box problems. Her owner took Emily to a vet to have her put down. The vet declined, because for a 14 year old cat Emily is in very good health. PAWS of Wakefield found her a foster home until we visited and adopted her the same day we picked up the boys.
While Emily is not perfect with her litterbox (lousy aim every few days), we suspect the previous owner's problem was the classic too many cats making the litterbox dirty. Here at the kitten farm, we have three litterboxes, all cleaned at least twice daily.
Emily is a rather sedate and regal cat. Alas, she doesn't especially like the boys. They didn't do anything for their cause by stalking her repeatedly the first few days we were all one big happy family.
Emily's Aim (again)
Emily missed her litter box this morning (again). Time to look into covered litter boxes.
Saturday, July 3, 2004
Introduction to Whitey
Click on the thumbnail below for a larger picture of Whitey.
Whitey and Billy, both boys, were born February 2004. They are grey/black over white tigers. Whitey's lower white coloring extends higher; in particular, he has a white nose and mostly white forelegs
Whitey and Billy, both boys, were born February 2004. They are grey/black over white tigers. Whitey's lower white coloring extends higher; in particular, he has a white nose and mostly white forelegs
Welcome
This blog is for the tracking of our three cats which we adopted on June 14th, 2004. It mostly exists for recording events, from litterbox issues to progress teaching silly cat tricks; don't expect high prose or cat worship.
Do expect the occasional cute cat picture. :-)
Do expect the occasional cute cat picture. :-)
Friday, July 2, 2004
Emily's Aim
Emily missed her litter box this morning. The accident scene was just outside her box, implying she didn't know where her business end was while standing in the box (as opposed to ignoring her box).
Nothing like scraping up cat guano first thing in the morning to make one's day.
(This a post dated entry; it was for tracking lovely events like this we created the log for).
Nothing like scraping up cat guano first thing in the morning to make one's day.
(This a post dated entry; it was for tracking lovely events like this we created the log for).
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