Heidi (the elderly Maine Coon mix tortie) has a long-standing habit of complaining about the food bowl as soon as she can see the bottom, regardless of the amount of food still in it.
Kimba (in userpic) seems to have learned it from her over the past few months.
After her latest vet visit, we've been giving Heidi (in userpic) glucosamine supplements. She's in good shape for a 15ish-year-old cat, but definitely starting to show her age.
The cats mostly get dry food, but the powder works best with soft food so that it will stay on top instead of falling to the bottom. Whenever we give Heidi her special meal, the other cats come crowding around to demand their share. I put some of the soft food aside for the purpose and offered it to the other cats... who turned their noses up at it and continued trying to get at Heidi's.
It could be something about the smell of the glucosamine powder, but I suspect it's just annoyance that one of the cats seems to be getting special treatment.
When I got up this morning to go back to work after vacation, I filled one of the cats' water dishes. Dorothy (in userpic) immediately started drinking, while Kimba (one of the Siamese-mix tabbypoints) waited patiently in line.
The amusing thing is that Kimba is 19 pounds (all muscle and frame, according to the vet), while Dorothy is maybe 10 pounds soaking wet (not that I've dared try that experiment).
starmalachite and I got home last night to four very needy cats. The two new arrivals took the first prolonged absence of their humans better than I was expecting, actually. It helps that the household has settled into two pairs: Vir and Dorothy are the two psycho cats who chase and wrestle each other; Heidi and Kimba(in userpic) are the two sedate cats who keep each other company and generally ignore anything they consider beneath their notice.
There was a gray kitten hanging around the hotel parking lot, approaching cars and people (possibly looking for her people, who either lost her or -- more likely, given the lack of habitation in the area -- dumped her). A bit reluctantly, since we already had three cats including one fairly recent addition who was only just learning to fit in, we decided that if nobody else took her, we would. Several people at the convention were willing but unable for various reasons, so we started making preliminary plans.
We heard unconfirmed reports that someone had decided to take her in, and she wasn't hanging around as usual Sunday night, but we swung by the hotel Monday after dance-group practice to be sure. Within a few minutes, somebody near the Outback steakhouse pointed the kitten out to starmalachite, and we got her stowed away in a duffel bag that was emptied into my suitcase to serve as an impromptu cat carrier. We got her home, set her up in a walk-in closet isolated from the other cats, and did the decontamination routine of dumping all clothes right into the wash and showering.
Fortunately, the vet found nothing worse than some fleas and a nasty ear mite infestation (she had a punctured eardrum, but no apparent damage to her hearing); we were apparently successful in keeping them away from the other cats. After getting a clean bill of health and a spaying, she was introduced to the other cats. Heidi generally ignores her (she was an only cat for years, and tends to be a bit reserved toward either humans or felines). Vir bonded with her easily, playing tag and wrestling (a good thing; the vet says he could stand to lose a bit of weight). Kimba hissed and growled at her for a week or so (he was probably feeling insecure, having barely settled in himself), but is getting more tolerant. The kitten takes all this in stride, including being growled at by a cat three times her size.
Everything is going smoothly, with a couple of minor difficulties of feeding her kitten food without letting the older cats (especially Vir) get into it and keeping her inside. She got out at 5 AM Sunday when starmalachite went out to the car to retrieve something and led us on a merry chase around the neighborhood until I caught her. We're trying to get her to accept that she's an indoor cat now, but she's stubborn.
After a bit of dithering, we decided on the name "Dorothy". I'm sure the experience for her was not unlike being dropped into Oz. :-)
Last weekend, we took in one of Vir's littermates -- his human has been out of work and in bad health. There was some posturing and hissing at first, but Kimba (we kept the same name; he has enough other stuff to adjust to) has been warming up to the new humans and new cats.
One of the first good pictures we got (after some redeye correction) is under the cut-tag; you can see how much he resembles Vir (in userpic), except for being bigger and darker colored:
Vir has gotten extra-clingy after we left to visit relatives over Christmas, then were at a New Year's party, then for Brunswick Games Day, and then for GAFilk. Returning to the routine of going to work after vacation also convinced him that he needs attention right now.
Heidi has been taking it more in stride, simply glaring disapprovingly when she notices the signs that the humans are leaving again.
Among Christmas presents we're in the process of wrapping up are a few bottled of spices from Auntie Arwen. Ever since he caught sight of the bottles, Vir has been underfoot yammering -- evidently, he recognized the bottles as the same kind his catnip comes in.
Heidi (in userpic) has never been much of a cuddly cat -- she'll let her human pet her, but doesn't like to be picked up and held. It took her a few years to accept starmalachite as one of her people (she was smart enough to figure out that the influx of strange cats into a formerly one-cat household was Her Fault).
However, she seems to be mellowing out in middle age....
Before I got home, she was soliciting attention from starmalachite (and not for the usual ONOZ I SEE THE BOTTOM OF MY FOOD DISH reason). Later, after we we got home from the dance group meeting and dinner, she let starmalachite hold her and even relaxed into it.
This made Vir (the tabby-point Siamese) jealous. He started complaining about the injustice of it all, and capped it off by ostentatiously jumping up onto Heidi's favorite perching spot on top of the rolltop desk and giving the humans his Tragic Neglected Face.
Oh, the injustice of not having the humans' undivided attention....
Our young tabby-point Siamese Vir got bored and decided to pester our middle-aged Maine Coon mix Heidi (in icon). She wasn't having any, and gave him a quick hiss and swat. He responded by puffing himself up, arched back and bottle-brush tail.
Heidi was thoroughly unimpressed, and just turned and marched off down the hall. Vir skulked away.
Maybe the problem is that Heidi's tail at rest is bigger than Vir's at full bottle-brush display.
I've got my clothes and basic supplies packed, printed out and packed a batch of Concertino flyers, and checked the schedule to see if there's anything Friday afternoon we really want to catch. I'm at the point of double-checking the essentials list -- grooming bag, cell phone charger, AA battery charger, etc.
Heidi and Vir have figured out that the humans are leaving, and gotten extra neurotic and clingy.
Also, I found us a good price on Southwest for flying in and out of Providence for Concertino; the hours are a little inconvenient but it's hard to argue with two round-trip tickets for under $300 (not counting $100 or so for the rental car).
This morning, I was awakened by Vir making a new sound, a sort of "MRRRRR-APPP!" trill. I think he was trying to imitate the Classic Trek red-alert klaxon I have programmed as my smartphone's standard alarm.
He's too smart for his our our own good, sometimes....
Last night, starmalachite and I met gorgeousgary, the_sheryl, jannyblue, and a friend of hers whose name I'm blanking on for a Paul & Storm / Jonathan Coulton concert at the Birchmere. (Unfortunately, partiallyclips was fighting off a case of con crud and couldn't make it.) The show was sold out, and even getting there at 6:00 we only got so-so seats, but other than that it was a very nice evening.
Heidi and Vir were both a bit clingy this morning; I think they were annoyed at being deserted again after last weekend. Vir did his "mimic Heidi's voice" trick again today; starmalachite thinks he's figured out that her voice gets more attention than his (Heidi hardly ever makes a sound; Vir yammers constantly in his Siamese way).
A little later, we're heading out to pick through anything interesting left at Circuit City, get dinner, and have a Saturday night gaming session to make up for the usual Friday one we missed. (Apologies to thelongshot; we should have made sure you knew we weren't going to be there this week.)
While I was packing for Boskone, I heard a chirp for attention that sounded just like Heidi (in userpic). I turned around, and it turned out to be Vir. He chirped again until I took a moment to give him a scritch.
I suppose it's better that the Siamese is learning to talk like a Maine Coon than vice versa....
When starmalachite and I came home from seeing friends at a New Year's gathering, I found our elderly white cat Satin lying on the laundry room floor, back arched and front paws repeatedly thrashing. She didn't respond to me or show any sign that she was even aware. Our best guess is that she had a stroke (she'd apparently had a less serious one a few weeks ago, and was recovering from that); the vet we talked to concurred. It took me a few minutes to fully accept it, but there was clearly nothing to be done but let her go, and so we brought her in to the emergency vet to put her to sleep.
I can't think of anything much to say beyond what Crystal said in her entry. We'll both miss the little furball.
We got back from spending a few days visiting the relatives (first starmalachite 's folks in the outskirts of the Harrisburg area, and then my folks in Schuylkill County). A few of the highlights:
During post-Christmas shopping, I found that the local branch of Fye's was liquidating. The stock had been pretty seriously picked through, but I found the two-disk special edition of Iron Man for under $20.
Earlier today, we stopped by my brother Chris' house and got to visit his cats (including the big mellow amber tabby who lay on top of the printer acccepting attention and otherwise watching the humans). I managed to fulfil the family tech support duties that generally come up and get one of the laptops back on speaking terms with the house wireless network.
Now, we're back, reassuring the poor abandoned pussycats (and giving the old one her subcutaneous fluids, which she probably finds more annoying than reassuring).
Yesterday was the last day at the office for the year; today is going to preparation for getting on the road to visit both sets of relatives in Pennsylvania. I may or may not get online occasionally (both places we'll be staying are in the Dialup Hinterlands).
The cats have figured out that the humans are getting ready to leave, so at least one of them is always underfoot.
Happy Holidays to all (with wishes that Santa delivers "a life" to everybody who gets all exercised about the so-called "War On Christmas").
Vir had a rather exciting birthday. First, I put on a pot of tuna casserole, and had him (and Heidi) underfoot clamoring for their share. (I let them have the water from the tuna cans.)
Next, starmalachite printed the holiday card labels -- working from the laptop and sending the job over the wireless network to the printer in the bedroom. Naturally, this causes the printer to start up without apparent human intervention. Satin (the rather slow-witted elderly white cat) just ignores it, as one of many incomprehensible phenomena in her world. Heidi (the middle-aged tortie) just ignores it, because it is not relevant to her interests. Vir, on the other hand, was right there, watching in fascination as the labels were pulled in and then pushed out again.
Vir may look like a sweet innocent kitty, but he's a little devil to the humans and the other cats when he gets bored. The downside of being highly intelligent is that he gets bored easily.
The latest trick he's discovered is to tap Satin (the 19-year-old white cat) with his paw. Satin being cranky, this causes her to take a swipe at him. However, Vir has mastered the trick of taking an immediate side-step. Satin being an ancient cat who doesn't see or hear very well, this causes her to miss.
We try to discourage this when we catch him at it. He probably needs a cat closer to his own age to play with, but then they might both pester the older ones.
I think Vir and Heidi have already figured out that the humans are leaving again this weekend. Vir in particular has more or less attached himself to me during breakfast. (He doesn't try to get at people food since the Jalapeno Cheddar Bagel incident, but he does seem attracted to coffee. I don't think he needs any caffeine.)
Satin is 19 years old and apparently getting a bit senile (hard to tell; she started off from a low intellectual baselne), so she hasn't gotten the news yet.
starmalachite's new Wing arrived today. So far, so good; I'm recharging the battery in preparation for resynching and reinstalling software.
The cats are being clingy now that their humans have returned from the second long absence in two weeks. Heidi in particular is particularly affectionate. She used to have the stereotypical catitude of ignoring the Hairless Ape Servants unless she needed her dish filled or her litter box emptied; lately, she's been mellowing (either the onset of middle age or exposure to Vir the bouncy Siamese).
starmalachite and I are hoping to get on the road by about Thursday noon. The usual mad flurry of preparations is underway.
The cats (well, the two brighter ones) seem to have figured out that their humans are planning to leave again, even though the suitcases haven't actually been packed yet. Even Heidi (usually the stereotypically independent-minded creature) is acting clingy and needy, and Vir has gotten even more demanding than usual. Satin still seems oblivious.
Vir's occasional tendency to coughing fits flared up again, so starmalachite took him to the vet for a shot yesterday. He's been listless ever since (apparently a normal side effect) and threw up a couple times (though not since last night); I'm staying home to keep an eye on him while she joins the Three Left Feet gig at Maryland Faerie Fest.
I broke out the jars of treats from the holiday loot and offered them to the cats.
Vir turned his nose up at both varieties... and complained that he wasn't getting "the good stuff" like his sisters (who snarfed them up, and in Heidi's case pestered me for more).
Vir has been getting maintenance doses of steroids to ward off occasional asthma attacks. After taking the nasty pill without (much) fuss, he gets a kitty treat.
Heidi has learned to start hanging around and beg put on a subtle show of dignity and cuteness for these events in order to piggyback on the occasion. She looks terribly smug about her new trick, too.
amused
starmalachite and I got home last night to four very needy cats. The two new arrivals took the first prolonged absence of their humans better than I was expecting, actually. It helps that the household has settled into two pairs: Vir and Dorothy are the two psycho cats who chase and wrestle each other; Heidi and Kimba(in userpic) are the two sedate cats who keep each other company and generally ignore anything they consider beneath their notice.
worried
tired
anxious
