freedom

We arrived home yesterday and first thing went to get the cats! First up was Nahum. He was so easy going, he barely moved in my arms. Willow was next, she seemed more scared. Theo was his typical cool self and Rose was scared.

Now that they are home, they have settled back into usual routines. Theo sounds hoarse, a week of non-stop meowing will do that! I feel sorry for the other cats and the staff who had to endure his wailing.

They seems to have caught a kitty-cold, leaving me wondering who he was kissing?!

Thanks to the wonderful staff at Diamond Veterinary Associates who took great care of our kitties, you all do great work.

Willow play

discrimination

I recently stopped in a local Borders bookstore to pick up a copy of Jon Katz's new novel Rose In A Storm. While there I browsed the magazines looking for any interesting cat-themed ones. I counted ten different dog magazines, but only one cat magazine, Cat Fancy. What's the deal?

Cats out number dogs in this country as household pets and yet it seems people are less willing to spend money on their cats. I have read somewhere that pet owners are more likely to bring their dogs to the vet for routine checkups and shots than their cats. I don't understand.

And another thing, how come my tax dollars go to build dog-parks but not cat-parks?

fun friday feline factoid - local law

Having researched the local city ordinances, I have learned that I am operating a hobby cattery and thus must pay a fee in addition to the license fees for my cats. My wife will not be pleased to hear this - not about the extra fee, but rather the idea of us running a cattery!

Section 6.04.020 of Everett Municipal Code defines a "hobby kennel or cattery" as:

“Hobby kennel or cattery” means any facility or residence where more than two, but less than seven, sexually neutered dogs or sexually neutered cats, or combinations thereof in excess of two dogs and two cats, are kept, or harbored, for the enjoyment of the species only. In addition to the hobby kennel fee (see Section 6.04.100 of this chapter), each dog and cat must be licensed individually at regular fees.

The fee for a hobby cattery is $10 per year.
The fee for a sexually unreproductive female or male cat is $10 per year.

The way I see it, $50 a year to help cover the costs of animal control in the city seems like a bargain to me. The staff and volunteers at the animal shelter do a great service for the community.

visitor

Word must be out on the street that our house is a safe haven for cats.

This is a pretty neighborhood cat who has been visiting more frequently and staying longer with each visit. It enjoys hunting in the tall grass adjacent to our drive and napping by the fence under the dying snowball tree in the side yard.

Theo and Nahum are always interested in visiting with the gray kitty.

sound of silence

I am amazed at the immediate difference in how quiet and empty the house feels when the cats are away. It’s kind of spooky quiet. But how can that be? I don’t think of the cats as being loud. Are they really that loud?

As I sit in their absence and reflect on the silence, here are the sounds I realize I am missing:

•  The sound of play. Willow or Theo batting and chasing a ball or mouse can make some noise. Sometimes Willow gets really into her play and forgets that she rarely speaks and then she lets loose with all sorts of cute murp sounds.
•  Theo asking for food. His meow is kind of grating. It sounds like he is complaining and it can go on forever. It is as if he is trying to annoy his victim enough that they succumb and hand over the nuggets.
•  Nahum walking. Nahum has two options for walking; stealth mode, where he makes no sound, and stomp mode, where he stomps each paw with every step.
•  Scratching around in the litter box, sounds of digging and litter flying around the room! Theo’s approach to life involves either putting everything he’s got into the behavior of the moment or no effort at all. When he decides to cover his waste in the litter box he can be a bit overzealous, resulting in litter flying everywhere as he tries to dig to China.
•  Tussling. Nahum and Theo enjoy a good tussle. They often wrestle each other to the floor and roll around in a mix of legs, tails and flying fur. Their play is often accompanied by the sound of furniture being moved as they work themselves around the room. Eventually one cries-out as he tries to get away.
•  Scratching. All of the cats love to scratch. Their preferred scratching surface seems to change with time. Sometimes it is the large scratching post and other times it is the arms of the loveseat. For some odd reason Nahum usually prefers the petite scratching post.
•  Gobbling of food. When the cats are eating there is the frantic sound of nuggets being crunched, moved around the bowl and onto the floor. About two minutes after giving them their food, comes the sound of me yelling at Theo to stop stealing the other cats’ food.
•  Occasional meow-like sounds. They all have a very different sound. Max had the most classic meow sound. Nahum loves to talk; he makes all sorts of weird sounds as if he is carrying on a conversation. Willow occasionally lets out a murp. Rose squeaks and squeaks as she tries to meow. Theo makes the same annoying sound over and over and over…
•  Willow breathing. Sadly, sometimes it takes Willow quite a bit of effort to breathe. Whereas I am thankful she is breathing, however I do wish it wasn’t sometimes as difficult.
•  Purrs. Willow is the smallest cat but she has the largest purr! Sometimes at night, she can be lying down at the foot of the bed and I hear her purring away. Nahum, the largest cat, has the quietest purr.
•  Willow hunting bugs is always noisy. She chatters her teeth as if she is warning the bug of its impending death.
•  Yowling. Theo occasionally yowls when he sees a neighborhood cat visit in the yard. Nahum sometimes goes into an empty room and yowls loudly (he prefers the bathroom) just for fun. Max used to yowl every evening just after we went to bed as he played yarnball.

As I compile this list, I am realizing the cats do make a lot noise! The sounds they make are a lot less stark and more pleasant when compared to a dog’s barking. Interesting how it’s the absence of the kitty sounds is what makes me more aware of them. In the midst of daily life, their sounds are a part of the soundtrack of my life. Many of these delightful kitty sounds bring a smile to my face.

watchful eyes