off topic DO YOU HAVE A CAT?

[skylark40]

Yes, I do - see avatar, that's Bootsie.

[jmcd]

I have two cats, Bella and Missy and three Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Rustin (14 months), Crash (my 8 month old blind boy - he has no eyes), and Roxie (7 months).

[mars]

Why do all of the cat avatars belong to woman and all of the dog avatar are owned by men and woman. Show me one cat avatar here owned by a man....prove me wrong!

As you requested...................

Dusty, my British Blue, usually only appears as my avatar when I go on holiday, and she takes over for a while. But she is a very obliging cat. Bonnie, my ginger tabby, hasn't been my avatar yet, she is still learning the ropes.

And isn't Dusty beautiful

cheers

Mars

Edit: Dusty has now been replaced by Bonnie as my Avatar - see later post.

Later Edit: Bonnie is still learning, so this feisty little kitten will do me just fine.

[6PtStar]

Dusty is gorgeous!! I always thought I wanted a Russian Blue!!

Jerry

[dieselgal]

We have a small Humane Society living at our house. 6 Chihuahua's, 1 Yorkie, 1 Maine Coon, 1 Persian, 2 Heinz 57 Cats and a porch kitty that adopted us!

Here is a pic of my Maine Coon Harley....he is 11 years old and weighs 26 lbs. The vet says he is not even fat!

[Emilia]

Harley is beautiful! Main Coons and Ragdolls are the largest of the domestic breeds. Males are typically 15-28 lbs. so 26 is about right for him. My Ragdoll is male and only weighs about 13 lbs....he is petite by Ragdoll standards!

[Hospiceangel]

OMG!!! Your kittehs are fabulous. Yes, I know I mispelled Kitties. I love http://Ihasacheezeburger. That where I got my avatar. I have 3 psychotic kittehs of my own. I have Teddy who is a rescue cat...that is a Turkish Angora (He's white and black with Holstein cow markings who is about 15 years old.), Angel is a farm cat rescue that is a large long haired Tortiseshell female about 7 years old, and Daisy is a lilac point siamese about 6 years old that has Serious social problems. The two females have a spat about every other day. When I can get my tekkie son to help me I will download pictures. I love my gang.
Shar:)
PS Mars...Dusty is gorgeous but looks like he could have an attitude!

[SleepingUgly]

i have 2 - sisters - smoke and smudge, 7 years old, and to bring it on topic i plan to tell my PCP AND sleep doc that they need to put in my files - when i tell you the cats are sleeping by my face there is a problem in need of correction. just prior to initial dx i was getting annoyed that they kept sleeping so close to my face. it was a new habit i just couldn't seem to break them of. after starting to sleep with the cpap they went back to their habit of sleeping by my feet. a year later i was discussing an issue with my PCP and she thought it was due to the apnea - i originally didn't - then said come to think of it the cats are sleeping by my face again - turned out i DID need a cpap pressure adjustment. a few months ago they were moving up the bed again - found out a week ago i needed a different mask size. next night back at my feet. from now on if they sleep closer to my face than my feet i am calling the doc and telling her SOMETHING is wrong or needs adjusting

Auntlala, maybe you can rent them out as an adjunct to auto-pap titration in the home...

[Julie]

Well maybe it's about time I introduced Ecco (felis), who's Goblin's nemesis. If ever there were two opposites in the world, it's these guys and they're a riot, but while Goblin's gorgeous, Ecco's the brains of the family and keeps me in stitches all day!

Oh damn! It won't let me paste and I can't change to it in my avatar because it's a weird extension file that even as a web archive won't work. Just picture an intense macho little black cat with gold eyes who's looking for trouble !

[mars]

Hi All

Well, my number two cat, Bonnie, tells me there is absolutely nothing to being an Avatar, and she doesn't see why Dusty should get all the glory.

I haven't had a working scanner for about 12 months, but I managed to find a photo of Bonnie when she was wearing her CatBib. This was a few years ago when Bonnie was bringing in 2 or 3 birds a day. So on went the CatBib and no more birds.

A couple of years ago I took the Bib off for Christmas, and still no more birds, so it has stayed off.

So, for the moment, Bonnie is my Avatar, in her bib days. She is still an explorer, and is out having adventures most of the time. The bib never stopped her from doing anything, except catch birds.

and

Post by Hospiceangel on 15 Sep 2010, 18:24

PS Mars...Dusty is gorgeous but looks like he could have an attitude!

Fortunately, she is a very forgiving cat , and a very co-operative one too. Her favourite activity is washing me, and practising mental telepathy when she wants me to do something. She is very good at it. It took me 12 months to befriend her - she lived with a feral family in the alley next to the flats. When she moved in, her father, an enormous British Blue feral tomcat, used to visit her through the kitchen window (obviously making sure she was alright in her new home ), and now Dusty is a very loving house-cat.

Dusty is gorgeous!! I always thought I wanted a Russian Blue!!

Jerry

Also a beautiful cat, not stocky like the British Blue, but long slim and graceful, and, I believe, quiet and gentle, and usually a little shy.

When I get my scanner working I will be able to post some proper images. I will also copy a photo of Smokey, my Cornish Rex who died some years ago, and will then post another of the worlds most amazing cat stories (shades of Auntlalas' Smoke and Smudge, what a wonderful story that is ).

For me, the most touching time is when they both see me off when I leave the units; and when they rush to greet me when I get back.

cheers

Mars

[calgurl@hrt]

Sorry for the long post but I think this is funny... and true!

Guidelines for Cats
Doors
Do not allow closed doors in any room. To get door opened, stand on hind legs and hammer with forepaws. Once door is opened, it is not necessary to use it. After you have ordered an "outside" door opened, stand halfway in and out and think about several things. This is particularly important during very cold weather, rain, snow, or mosquito season. Swinging doors are to be avoided at all costs.

Chairs and Rugs
If you have to throw up, get to a chair quickly. If you cannot manage in time, get to an Oriental rug. If there is no Oriental rug, shag is good. When throwing up on the carpet, make sure you back up so that it is as long as the human's bare foot.

Bathrooms
Always accompany guests to the bathroom. It is not necessary to do anything . . . just sit and stare.

Hampering
If one of your humans is engaged in some close activity and the other is idle, stay with the busy one. This is called "helping", otherwise known as "hampering." Following are the rules for "hampering":

■When supervising cooking, sit just behind the left heel of the cook. You cannot be seen and thereby stand a better chance of being stepped on and then picked up and comforted.

■For book readers, get in close under the chin, between eyes and book, unless you can lie across the book itself.

■For knitting projects or paperwork, lie on the work in the most appropriate manner so as to obscure as much of the work or at least the most important part. Pretend to doze, but every so often reach out and slap the pencil or knitting needles. The worker may try to distract you; ignore it. Remember, the aim is to hamper work. Embroidery and needlepoint projects make great hammocks in spite of what the humans may tell you.

■For people paying bills (monthly activity) or working on income taxes or Christmas cards (annual activity), keep in mind the aim-to hamper! First, sit on the paper being worked on. When dislodged, watch sadly from the side of the table. When activity proceeds nicely, roll around on the papers, scattering them to the best of your ability. After being removed for the second time, push pens, pencils, and erasers off the table, one at a time. When a human is holding the newspaper in front of him/her, be sure to jump on the back of the paper. They love to jump.
Walking
As often as possible, dart quickly and as close as possible in front of the human, especially on stairs, when they have something in their arms, in the dark, and when they first get up in the morning. This will help their coordination skills.

Bedtime
Always sleep on the human at night so s/he cannot move around.

Play
This is an important part of your life. Get enough sleep in the daytime so you are fresh for your nocturnal games. Below are listed several favorite cat games that you can play. It is important, though, to maintain one's dignity at all times. If you should have an accident during play, such as falling off a chair, immediately wash a part of your body as if to say "I meant to do that!" It fools those humans every time.

Cat Games

■Catch Mouse
The humans would have you believe that those lumps under the covers are their feet and hands. They are lying. They are actually Bed Mice, rumored to be the most delicious of all the mice in the world, though no cat has ever been able to catch one. Rumor also has it that only the most ferocious attack can stun them long enough for you to dive under the covers to get them. Maybe YOU can be the first to taste the Bed Mouse!

■King of the Hill
This game must be played with at least one other cat. The more, the merrier! One or both of the sleeping humans is Hill 303 which must be defended at all costs from the other cat(s). Anything goes. This game allows for the development of unusual tactics as one must take the unstable playing theater into account.
Warning: Playing either of these games to excess will result in expulsion from the bed and possibly from the bedroom. Should the humans grow restless, immediately begin purring and cuddle up to them. This should buy you some time until they fall asleep again. If one happens to be on a human when this occurs, this cat wins the round of King of the Hill.

Toys
Any small item is a potential toy. If a human tries to confiscate it, this means that it is a good toy. Run with it under the bed. Look suitably outraged when the human grabs you and takes it away. Always watch where it is put so you can steal it later. Two reliable sources of toys are dresser tops and wastebaskets. There are several types of cat toys.

■Bright shiny things like keys, brooches, or coins should be hidden so that the other cat(s) or humans can't play with them. They are generally good for playing hockey with on uncarpeted floors.

■Dangly and/or string-like things such as shoelaces, cords, gold chains, and dental floss (& Q-tips) also make excellent toys. They are favorites of humans who like to drag them across the floor for us to pounce on.

■When a string is dragged under a newspaper or throw rug, it magically becomes the Paper/Rug Mouse and should be killed at all costs. Take care, though. Humans are sneaky and will try to make you lose your dignity.
Paper Bags
Within paper bags dwell the bag mice. They are small and camouflaged to be the same color as the bag, so they are hard to see. But you can easily hear the crinkling noises they make as they scurry around the bag. Anything, up to and including shredding the bag, can be done to kill them. Note: any other cat you may find in a bag hunting for bag mice is fair game for a sneak attack, which will usually result in a great Tagmatch.

Food
In order to get the energy to sleep, play, and hamper, a cat must eat. Eating, however, is only half the fun. The other half is getting the food. Cats have two ways to obtain food: convincing a human you are starving to death and must be fed now; and hunting for it oneself. The following are guidelines for getting fed.

■When the humans are eating, make sure you leave the tip of your tail in their dishes when they are not looking.

■Never eat food from your own bowl if you can steal some from the table. Never drink from your own water bowl if a human's glass is full enough to drink from.

■Should you catch something of your own outside, it is only polite to attempt to get to know it. Be insistent. Your food will usually not be so polite and try to leave.

■Table scraps are delicacies with which the humans are unfortunately unwilling to readily part. It is beneath the dignity of a cat to beg outright for food as lower forms of life such as dogs will, but several techniques exist for ensuring that the humans don't forget you exist. These include, but are not limited to: jumping onto the lap of the "softest" human and purring loudly; lying down in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen, the "direct stare", and twining around people's legs as they sit and eat while meowing plaintively.
Sleeping
As mentioned above, in order to have enough energy for playing, a cat must get plenty of sleep. It is generally not difficult to find a comfortable place to curl up. Any place a human likes to sit is good, especially if it contrasts with your fur color. If it's in a sunbeam or near a heating duct or radiator, so much the better. Of course, good places also exist outdoors, but have the disadvantages of being seasonal and dependent on current and previous weather conditions such as rain. Open windows are a good compromise.

Scratching Posts
It is advised that cats use any scratching post the humans may provide. They are very protective of what they think is their property and will object strongly if they catch you sharpening your claws on it. Being sneaky and doing it when they aren't around won't help, as they are very observant. If you are an outdoor kitty, trees are good. Sharpening your claws on a human is not recommended.

Humans
Humans have three primary functions: to feed us, to play with and give attention to us, and to clean the litter box. It is important to maintain one's Dignity when around humans so that they will not forget who is the master of the house. Humans need to know basic rules. They can be taught if you start early and are consistent.

Cats as Humanitarians
Humans have a very tenuous hold on reality and it is up to the cats to help them maintain their grasp on said reality. For instance, humans often speak to imaginary friends while holding a small object up to their ear, with no other humans in sight, obviously losing touch with the real world! A cat must put a stop to this as quickly as possible! Climb on the human and get your face right up in theirs and meow very loudly until the human acknowledges you, therefore bringing them back to reality. If that fails, you can use the top of your head to try and knock the small object out of their hand/away from their ear, which almost always succeeds in stopping their talking to thin air.

Human Inconsistency
Humans spend many hours sitting in front of a box with moving pictures, tapping tiny squares on a board with their fingertips...it is rumored that this is actually how humans sharpen their claws! Considering how sanctimonious they are when they catch cats sharpening their claws, humans obviously need a lesson in consistency. One of the best ways to do this is to walk on the board with the tiny squares...that will always get a huge reaction from the human, a good indication that you're actually teaching them something! If that doesn't work, lay on the board or throw up a furball on it! There's no good reason why humans should be allowed to sharpen their claws while forbidding cats to do so!

Cat Speak
Humans will sometimes try to speak in cat language, attempting to 'meow' at you while having no real idea what they're saying! Cats can either meow back and try and fool the human into thinking that there is a real connection going on, or they can stare at the human with a puzzled look on their face...after all, the human just told you that your mother was the whore of every tomcat in town! Did they mean that or did they simply not understand the implications of their attempting to meow? It's hard to say, as the level of human advancement in this area is very limited...about the only 'catspeak' they actually understand is "I'm starving" and "Let me out...NOW!" If they have truly insulted you or your family, feel free to either tell them how stupid they are in cat language or walk away indignantly.

[happysleeper]

This is Jinx. She went to heaven on the first night that I started CPAP therapy (no connection). She was such a happy sleeper that I wanted to honor her as my avatar. I like the think that she's my little sleep angel now.

Happy Sleeper

[Hawthorne]

Happysleeper - I keep both Pumpkin and Pepper as my avatar. Pumpkin "went to heaven" in March. We still have Pepper. I wanted to leave Pumpkin in my avatar as well, to honour him.

[Shellie_p]

Our kitteh, her names butterscotch but we just call her kitty. She answers to that.
Shes the queen, she has my SO SO WELL trained she refuses to eat without him escorting her to the kitchen to her food dish.


And Raphael who answers to Mr.man lol. our poor pets are confused!! Both pick the darndest places for naps as mr.mans photo shows, he ADORES laundry piles and will hunt out the softest piece in the pile to sleep in. (He adores silky things) And even though he isn't a cat he thinks he is!

[kopoloff]

In my view, the best place for a cat is somewhere else