"like all pure creatures, cats are practical."
~William S. Burroughs
Happy Caturday!
I hope your weekend is off to a fabulous start, and there are furry cuddles all around. Yesterday, it was raining leaves (and then just raining!) here in Maine.
I've been watching a lot of animal rescue stories lately, and yesterday's weather made me not only grateful for the ability to keep my pets safe, sound, warm and cozy, but also worry for the cats and other animals who don't have the life they deserve.
Those thoughts reminded me that a friend recently sent me a link to a local cat rescue's 2021 fundraiser. She thought I may like to share it with you. What a great idea! The HART cat shelter and adoption center is located just a few miles from my house, and it feels good to know I helped out.
I may not be able to be out in the field pulling neglected fur-babies from under buildings, but there's a part everyone can play in order to make the world a better place for it's most innocent inhabitants - especially with winter weather right around the corner for some of us. For anyone interested, here's a link: HART fundraiser.
Or, maybe your local adoption center could use some help! It's a great way to step into the holiday season.
Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away!
I'm excited to share in the Thanksgiving spirit with this awesome community. Even for those who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, expressing gratitude for the good things in life is so powerful.
The November Photo Album is here! Augustine, Nubble, Bertie & Telulah, Luna, and Melville Red are kicking things off. Come visit and comment on them!
Our Featured story for today is... "Meet Tarzan!"
Kim Harloff
(Oneonta, New York writes:
"I rescued this little creature from a house that burned down back in November 2012 in our neighborhood. He was just a kitten about a year and a half old when I captured him which was no easy feat because he is feral. I fact.
I named him Tarzan because he was living in the wild in an overgrown and trashed backyard; spending the harsh winter in a dirty fiberglass car top carrier, and liked to chase squirrels up poplar trees.
This was his kingdom, his only world, before I began domesticating him.
After patiently luring him into my car, I drove home and sat in the cold car for an hour until I gained his trust and, wearing thick leather gloves, grabbed him and squeezed him into a cage (he screamed and viciously bit me several times).
The first few days were awful! He chewed up the vacuum cleaner hose; which he liked to curl up in until I made him a security shelter out of a cardboard box, ran around the house knocking over lamps and breaking the blinds while trying to escape, stinking up the house twice daily using the litter box in the bathroom, which he seemed to have no trouble adapting to, constantly hissed and growled, attacking my feet whenever I walked by, and severely biting my hand which I had to put in a splint for
nine weeks.
One day he made a break and bolted out the kitchen window. And he would have made a clean getaway had only the window been open.
Since then, he has calmed down pretty much and is bonding with my black thirteen-year-old female cat. I had him neutered and given a rabies shot and they both now peacefully (most of the time) occupy my bed which has an electric mattress cover...."
See Tarzan's page here for more (and comments, too)
Questions From Our Friends:
Salim asks: "I'm 'uncle' to Franklin, an absolutely amazing Maine Coon who used to live with me and now lives with a dear friend.
Franklin is, we guess, at least 15 (he was a rescue), and has lost a considerable amount of weight from when I last saw him several years ago.
My friend's vet recommended dry food WITH grain (something to do with possible heart conditions and cholesterol).
I've checked online, and can find no one making similar suggestions - and I've been told forever that grain is bad for cats.
Also, I'm thinking that dry food is no longer the best choice for Franklin - his appetite is still good (I just had a fish dinner, and Franklin was clamoring for shares). But he doesn't seem very interested in his kibble.
Has anyone heard of a vet recommending grain for an older Maine Coon?
Thanks for your help!"
Donna in Australia asks: "Hello, my Maine Coon cat, Ferdinand, is a male desexed cat about 10 months old.
He's started to make a habit of peeing everywhere in my room but not the rest of the house.
We don't know if it could be because he’s anxious or if its because he’s asserting his dominance. Please respond with your ideas, it would be greatly appreciated.
He's also pooping on the tiles next to the litter boxes not in either of them.
Love from Donna and Ferdinand."
Click here to read my reply and add yours!
PS: For folks who reply to these emails, I do love to hear from you! I enjoy your greetings, and hearing about your cats and their quirks. Thank you for these nice
messages!Please Read Before Emailing a Question: For those who ask cat care questions or "Is my cat a Coon?" questions, please know that I may not be able to answer every cat care/behavior question. Look for Q & A's in future PAWSitive Passages. And please check out our Cat Care Questions page; you may find your exact problem has already been discussed there! And this page shares some common
visitor questions and answers, and guidelines. Thanks! |
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