Oh CATS!

Curled up on a tattered old (and borderline grungy) oven mitt. Weetzie first discovered this old mitt when she was a teeny, tiny kitten. Back then the oven mitt was 8 years younger, and the perfect size for a kitten nap. It was a actually a pretty plush and glamorous cat bed back in the day. But now, well… it’s put in a lot of years in the kitchen.

And our Weetzie is a full grown cat now,  and WAY too big. The fact that she can no longer fit comfortably on the oven mitt does not faze her. If we leave it on the counter or table, we will find her attempting to curl up on it within minutes.

I guess this is why I don’t ever seem to get around to buying a replacement mitt.

Years ago we discovered that Weetzie loves nectarines. I, the lady human, am a big fan of the nectarine and buy them in large quantities when they’re in season. They’re a fruit that has to be perfectly ripe to be all they can be, and they can’t get that way sitting in the fridge – which is how we found out about Weetzie’s taste for them. Anytime I leave a basket of them ripening in the kitchen she will find them. Doesn’t matter if they’re in one of the forbidden zones (the stove top, the kitchen counter), she will find them – and she will have her way with them.

I once walked in to the kitchen and found my darling cat holding one down with her paw, with her mouth attached to the poor, innocent nectarine – draining it like a vampire. That’s her method, the vampire bite. She clamps in and sucks out the juice. Look at those cat fang marks in that photo up there. Yikes!

I don’t really get why she loves them so much, as I’ve read in several respectable publications that they believe cats cannot taste sweet. But if it’s not the sweet juice she’s after, what else could it be?

Pixie is completely disinterested in nectarines, or any other fruit for that matter. But every summer I have to fight Weetzie for my favorite fruit.

the lady human
she stands and stands, not sitting
the lap is missing

                    – Weetzie

so little food left
my meal is almost over
when is the next one?

                – Pixie

Go Cat Food, or “Go! Natural Cat Food” as it’s officially called (including the action packed exclamation point) is a line of  dry, canned, and grain free cat foods made by Petcurean.

I’m not a veterinarian or a nutritionist, so when somebody tosses around terms like “nutrient dense” and “revolutionary” I basically have to decide if I’m going to take their word for it or not. All I know is what I read on the label – and a Go! Natural cat food can’s label looks pretty darn good.  These are the first nine ingredients of the “Chicken, Turkey & Duck” formula  – Chicken, turkey, chicken broth, chicken liver, turkey liver, turkey broth, duck, salmon, dried egg. That’s some good and varied protein for cats, no?

Go cat food isn’t really special to look at. It looks like your standard pureed food for cats, without the meat chunks and shreds we’re seeing in a lot of today’s fancier brands. But that’s a good thing for many cats out there, like Weetzie, who don’t really care for too much hearty stew-like texture in their bowl. Though, if you take a look at this close-up of a mostly consumed bowl of the “Freshwater Trout” formula, you can see the genuine fish texture is in there, as well as some calcium rich bones.

One fairly unique comment I have to make about Go cat food is this – it smells really, really good. Any feeder of cats is bound to agree that this is not the norm. Both grain-free formulas – yes, even the trout – have a very pleasing aroma about them. Which gives Go two thumbs up from the humans around here!

Go Natural grain free is “slow cooked at low temperatures” according to their website. I don’t know if this is done for nutritional or taste reasons. If it’s the latter, it’s working. They actually offer an unconditional  “guarantee” on taste, which I assume means your money back if your cat won’t eat it. Well, we won’t be getting any money back around here. This one is a HUGE hit with our cats. Clean, shiny, empty bowls for both of them.

Price wise, Go Natural is on the high-end, in comparison to other canned grain free cat foods. It just figures that my cats would get all Rockefeller and decide it is their hands down favorite food of all time.

So, Go Natural cat food gets two paws up. Way up! It’s a little out of our price range to be serving it at every meal, but it’s much too well loved to not put it on the menu regularly.

Weetzie has some skills. She’s a fantastic jumper. She does a great impression of a rabbit. She’s a good sneezer. She’s pretty! But her most impressive and useful skill is the art of lap ninja-ing.

Not many cats can pull off the stealthy act of approaching and settling into the lap of a human without them even noticing, but our Weetzie does so at least once a day. You’ll be sitting there doing whatever, and suddenly you realize there’s a cat in your lap. It’s amazing… and mildly unnerving. I’m not just talking about you being so involved in whatever you’re watching on TV that you don’t notice cats in your lap. She’s more skilled than that. Regularly the male human and I will be sitting at the kitchen table, not doing much of anything, having a chat – and suddenly one of us will say “When did you get here?” as we realize we’ve been lap ninja-ed.

How does she do it? Can’t be certain, but it seems like a combination of grace, stealth, and being light and muscle-free. Weetzie is built like  a marshmallow – all light and airy. She’s a normal, healthy weight for a cat of her size – but she just seems so much lighter, somehow. If there was a cat density scale, I don’t think she’d register on it. You know how a Ragdoll cat goes limp when you pick them up? Weetzie’s like that. While this is not a great asset for winning wrestling matches with her sister, it is clearly the perfect weight class for winning the title of number one lap ninja!

I was asked to re-post this by the Toronto Cat Rescue. I didn’t have to think about that very long, the TCR is close to my heart as that’s where we found Pixie and Weetzie, right around this time of year, 8 years ago. If you know of anyone who can help, please let them know. Let’s find these boys homes!   – Weetzie’s

Toronto Cat Rescue urgently needs foster homes or forever homes for three special needs cats: Gus (chronic sinus issues, declawed) , Lance (FIV+) and Max (FIV+) To become a foster please fill out an application on our website or phone us at 416-538-8592.

Gus’s Story…
DOB July 15, 2006. Gus is a super-affectionate guy. He loves to cuddle and shows his love with kitty-licks just like a little dog! He was rescued from a high volume shelter and settled in instantly at his foster home. Gus is a very unique guy who makes his foster parents laugh many times a day! He has the funny habit of waiting to lap up any potential drips from the bathtub faucet. His favourite toys are plastic balls with bells inside which he chases around and around the house. At night he loves to be spooned, and will happily snooze all night long in his spot on the bed.

Gus has had an upper respiratory virus since being rescued from the shelter. He has made several trips to the vet, who has concluded he has a chronic condition that may be with him for life. Gus isn’t bothered by this condition in the least, but his breathing sounds loud and congested and he has bouts of sneezing or coughing. It can be easily managed through good food and nutritional supplements. He enjoys the company of other cats and would do well with other cats who have been exposed to the upper respiratory virus.

Because he is declawed, he has the tendency to nip – it is not painful, but he would do best in a home with older children or adults. Gus is so excited to find his forever home where he will be loved and cuddled and pampered.

Lance’s Story…
DOB January 1, 2009. Lance was rescued from a high volume shelter were he was on death row. TCR became aware of him because their shelter contact was his champion and really wanted him to be rescued. At the time of rescue Lance had a condition where his eye lid was turned in and he needed surgery quickly! TCR saved this very sweet and affectionate boy from the cold, lonely shelter cage and got him straight to a vet. He had corrective surgery for his eye and was neutered at the same time. He went to a caring foster home to recover from his surgery. A couple of weeks later, at a recheck appointment, the vet determined he needed a second surgery on his eye. Finally, Lance’s eye is on the mend and he is a happy boy once again. He just needs a forever home.

Lance is a very social and friendly boy. He gets along with dogs and other cats. Lance is FIV+, but please do not let this faze you – he is currently healthy and with a loving, low stress home and good food, this little champ can lead a long, happy life. He will be fine in a home with non-FIV+ cats as well. Please consider Lance to be a part of your family – he deserves a second chance at happiness in a caring home. He promises to return your love 100 times over!

Learn more about FIV here  – don’t judge Lance on a blood test:

Maxamillionaire’s Story…
DOB January 15, 2010. Maxamillionaire is a very affectionate kitty who absolutely adores attention! He thrives at cuddling and loves to be patted – his purrs are never ending. Maxamillionaire will happily roll onto his back for anyone who promises to give him a belly rub!! This amazing cat will blossom in his new home where he will enjoy a carefree life of cozy blankets, food a plenty and (hopefully) treats! Maxamillionaire is a simple guy who enjoys watching the world go by, or perhaps a game of chasing string.
This sweet little black and white cat who looks like a little cow is currently seeking his forever home. Ideally, his forever home will not have other pets. This young dude was rescued from the lonely streets of a very rural community and placed into the care of a loving foster home. With his days as a stray behind him, Maxamillionaire is enjoying the comforts of home living.

Maxamillionaire has tested positive for FIV, but please don’t judge this little fellow based on a blood test, he is a wonderful cat that can lead a long, happy life. Maxamillionaire is a special boy that has had a rough start to his very young life; he deserves a wonderful family that will love and cherish him forever.

To become a foster please fill out an application on our website or phone us at 416-538-8592.

One morning last week, I couldn’t find Pixie. This was kind of unusual, as she’s generally not one to hide. (As opposed to Weetzie, who is always looking for a mysterious hiding spot. And we’re convinced that she does it for the joy of being “found”. But that’s not Pixie’s bag.)  So, I check all the usual cat locations, then do a perimeter check of likely areas – under the couch, closet shelves, etc. No Pixie.

Becoming slightly flummoxed, I scour the place thoroughly a few times. No Pixie! WTF?

Then… I realize this shelf in a darkened basement corner looks a tad lumpy.

So, I lean in for a closer look… and there’s a somewhat annoyed Pixie in my face.

Right, sorry to disturb you ma’am.

We’ve moved. The ladies seem to really like their new home. One of the things they particularly liked about our old place was the basement windows. There was nothing spectacular about them, lousy views, but they liked the ground level seat it gave them for squirrel, bird, and raccoon watching. These new basement windows provide a much more scenic vista for their ground level viewing pleasure – and there’s a lot more critters hanging out in the garden for them to intimidate.

So how did the move go? Really quite well. Better than I’d expected. Weetzie was the biggest surprise. She seemed quite happy the minute we arrived – no hiding at all, in fact she was rolling around on her back and purring within an hour. Who knew? I think it may be that she went through the worst of it before arriving at the new place. There was about 2 hours where they were all alone in the old place with just a cat bed, their litter box, and some food. All of our belongings were in transit, and the male human and I were gone. I think Weetzie may have had such a bad time in those 2 hours, that being reunited with her people and all “her” furniture and stuff was just bliss, and it didn’t matter that it was in a new location. She really hasn’t seemed upset about moving at all, not for a minute. Weird!

Pixie had a good move, too. But she definitely made sure we knew that she wasn’t thrilled about it. She spent most of day one being sullen by herself in a dark, secluded corner – but she was there with bells on whenever food was being offered. For the first two nights, she did some howling, as I had expected. But it was just howling – no panting, no running around in a panic, and it was just a few instances, not all night long as she’s done in the past. I don’t think she feels like Queen of the Castle quite yet, but she’s settled in nicely and seems content.

So, we’re about to move house. I’m excited to move, but definitely not exited about the process. Moving is stressful enough – and then you go and throw two confused and freaked out cats into the mix. We’ve moved our cats twice in their 8 years, three  if you count the time we all had to vacate for five weeks for some emergency renovations – and they’d probably say we should. Like any pets, our ladies don’t much care for moving.

They like the first stage. When things are getting packed and there’s lots of new, previously unreachable areas to explore – like the top shelf of the bookcase. Eek!

We’re doing our best to try and make it easy on them this time. Hopefully we’ll be able to get a lot of their essentials set up before they arrive, but that won’t make the fact that we’ve moved them any better. This is one of the times I really, really wish they spoke English, so I could explain it all to them. (Though, most of the time I’m glad they don’t – because honestly, who needs more complaining in their life? )

I’ve read all the advice about trying to ease cats into their new environment, but really, none of it helps. They’re scared and angry about what’s happened to them. If somebody picked you up and placed you in a whole new world with no explanation, you’d be pissed too.

Our cats react in two distinctly different ways, as they’re two very distinctly different girls. Weetzie hides immediately, and pretty much checks out mentally for at least a day. One time she spent the first 48 hours after a move hiding behind the toilet on the cold, hard tiles. Aww, so sad!

Pixie enjoys it like a bold adventurer … at first. She’ll excitedly jump out of the carrier, investigate, eat anything she’s given, and get through the first day like a trooper. Until all the lights go out and everybody goes to bed. Then she starts to freak out. Howling, running around, panting. A feline panic attack? It’s upsetting. I guess that before bedtime she just thinks we’re on a day trip of some kind. Y’know, like you go to the vet’s, but then you come home and have dinner. But when the lights go out she realizes we’re staying, and the brave adventurer falls apart. I’m so sorry Pixie, I wish I could explain!

Though, they’re older now, which could change the way they’ll react to this move. But who knows if that will be better or worse.  I guess I’ll let you know!

So sorry to hear about the passing of the adorable and zany Choco Ball from SweetFurr.

I love this video so much. She certainly made the most of the time she had.