AVP

It has been an exciting week. I am now a seasoned hunter of bunnies. I prefer the little ones because I can carry them easily. The first time I caught one was exciting. I decided to take it inside so I could examine it and decide what to do with it. I picked it and trotted it inside. As I put it down right inside the door and proceeded to nudge it, all hell broke loose. I heard a loud scream from my female human like someone had stolen her food AND favorite toy. Then she pounced on my new toy and ran away with it. I mean, come on!! Why do you need to steal my toy? Anyway, second time same story. So I decided to play with them right outside the door next time.

As I was playing with the next bunny I got I realized it was fun! So I kept playing with it and soon it was not moving anymore. I thought I would taste it a bit. So I dragged it in and tried it out. But, I'll tell you I'm not much into these new-fangled raw diets. The play is more fun than the feeding for sure. So, I stepped out to get me another toy. This one was the tiniest I had seen and it wouldn't stay quiet and just let me play. It started screeching right outside the door and my human came running again shouting the whole place down. Lady, did somebody ever tell you about cats having sensitive hearing?!

Well, my toy got snatched away again and what's more, it got it's own box and lotsa leaves from the fridge. Sheesh, so she likes to steal my toys and play doll houses with them. And later she actually walked out and dropped the bunny off at a nest of bunnies. All my hard work came to nothing. Then my human got down and cleaned the carpet of the previous bunny I played with and left that unappetizing lump in my food bowl. She took out my nice natural cat food. And to top it all, my human started not talking to me and kinda giving me the cold shoulder. I LOVED IT. That woman has been getting on my case from day one with too much touchy-feelies.

But that got old pretty soon because I do like to snuggle up to her in bed and rub myself on her. And I actually missed those annoying kisses and cuddles. They were always there when you turned around. So annoying but habit-forming. And no nice food- just yucky cold rabbit. I think she doesn't like to see bunnies hurt because they are furry and cute like me. Or maybe it is the fact that I have not brought in any leaves for her recently? I think it is the former because she hasn't let me out much without supervision- but now that I have shown her that I enjoy stalking more and not the paws-on play, she has gone back to her old cuddly self. So much better for receiving treats and snuggling up when I 'm sleepy.

[One bunny was killed in the writing of this blog and another wounded a bit. The rest, of which there were 4 or more, were all released alive along with the wounded one, once it was nursed a bit. To read my human's adventure in releasing a bunny, you should go to her blog and read the report with the bunny picture above. By the way, the top picture shows the first bunny I captured in my human's hand and the second picture shows a young unweaned one . Though I captured both, neither had a single hair hurt on their bodies.]

Out & About

Good news! I am now free to come and go as I like without silly harnesses. So, I'm pretty much a blur nowadays. The first day (a few days ago now) was a bit anxiety-forming. Not for me- for my pet human, silly! She was trailing me everywhere and cramping my style. It was constant mao-ing and whining from her. I tried to say in her sight so she wouldn't have quite so much separation anxiety. She needs to become a little bit more independent. At some point, I had to grit my fangs and just let her cry for her own good. But boyoboy, she would run up and cuddle me every few minutes. Eventually she started to quieten down. She realized that I was not gone forever and that she would see me whenever I wanted to come home (which I do when it gets too hot or windy or I get hungry or need to go to use my toilet). The next day was much better and now I get to go out without a large tail.

There is so much to see and do out there! There is a nail salon tree right outside the house. Perfect! The grass is long enough for me to hide out in and stalk the bunnies. From far away, no one can tell whether its a bunny or me except for the shape of ears sticking out of the grass. I'm working on growing longer ears. And I've become good at camouflage. There are plenty of rocks and stuff I can blend into. But mostly, I don't have to. I'm pretty much the alpha predator in this savannah. The other day an overgrown dog (a bearded collie, I'm told) tried to come up to me. I stood up and made my hair all big and stiff. His owner dragged him away telling him I was not like the declawed kitty at home. Right on- you tell him lady!

(We need to talk about this extreme surgery at some point. But I'll save it for another day.)

I have also explored the neighbor's houses. One of them has started paying his respects by leaving me a bowl of milk outside. Yummerrrrr. The other had her door open so I decided to be neighborly and say hello and have a look-see. Was ok- too many cuddlers and nothing to eat. Another has a big black tarp covered contraption that smells like charred food. I'm going to have to go over when they are using it to see what's cooking. Another has a fence and I have seen a big dog there. Whatever.

I have decided to help my humans with the food situation at home. No one can accuse me of being a moocher. For the big dude, I brought back a well-seasoned bone I found on my forays. For the grass-eater, I brought back some leaves. Actually, I try to bring her back a leaf everyday cos I want her to have a good association with me being away on my own.

I had some midget humans trouble me the day before yesterday. Well, the littlest midget was ok, she didn't touch me and she just made funny sounds and I liked her. But the older one threw a rock and would shout at me. Think she got me confused with a dog or something. And talk about getting too familiar- trying to pick me up and all! After her fourth try, I got a bit upset and warned her with my claws. No luck! Had to run and hide eventually. Certainly didn't want to hurt the midget but it was like there was no escape unless I went and hid.

So hey, I wanted to pass on some information which Trini had been giving my human about kitten independence. As long as a cat gets used to her home (which I did when I stayed home the first month), they can slowly be let out. Most of us cats have a built-in GPS to the home base as we explore the outside and find our way home over and over. But I like being a real kitster now, as Dipi would say. If you can let your cat out safely, then do. Supervising her in the beginning may be safe for her and you but eventually, you will start to have confidence in her ability to explore and have fun out there. Of course, please don't let out a kitty that has not been spayed or neutered unless you are also willing to take care of the babies you will get. And let me be clear, "taking care" doesn't involve any scenario with a bucket of water.

Pins and Needles

This has been a trying week. I have this nice velvety purple cave behind my favorite red sofa. I like to sometimes get in there for privacy. Or for catnip. Well, I got in for some catnip and zzzzip, I was locked in. And I was on the move. I was taken to the vet. Again! I hate this place. I hate going to the vet's. I have anxiety associated with these places. This place pretends to be nice but I don't like the people. To get there I am put in a car. If you want to know what I think of that contraption, read my earliest blog.

We get to the vets and my human lets me out of my little cave which, by now, I have realized is a cat trap/case. Sheesh, taken in for being trusting. I have a history with these places (I'll tell you about it sometime) and they make me nervous and anxious. I tried to crowd next to my human and I hissed at sounds outside the room to keep anything scary from coming in. You always wind up getting hurt in these places.

Then this other lady comes in and before I know it, inserts a probe in my bum! This is an indignity that I have to suffer on every trip to the vet. But it ain't the worst. I get taken to another room and got a whopping fat needle that inserted something in my shoulder. I am told it is a microchip. It seems my humans have grown quite attached to me and don't want to lose me. Well, let me tell you kiddos, giving me a pain in the neck ain't going to create a reciprocal sentiment in me for sure. If I had only known my last blog about the horrid harness would be taken this seriously, I might have let her know that I do take some dramatic license.

Then the vet comes in. The same lady who a minute ago put a huge piece of metal in me. She starts to touch me again so I let her have it. Drew blood from three spots. Meoowrrr. While my human tries to say to her that I am anxious and don't like to come here and am generally a sweety, the vet remarks that some cats have attitude issues!!!! Like hell!! Nuh-uh. I wanna see her attitude if I were to stick a fat needle in her with no "by-your-leaves." And then I got two more shots! It was like the worst kind of revenge. I decided to retire to the cat-cave. Even though, I knew what it was now. I just wanted my human to take me home.

My human has been concerned about this vaccination issue especially after her friends, Trini & Teresa- who are also owned by cats, have been communicating to her that it is not clear if kitties (or dogs for that matter as Teresa would point out) need all these constant injections. There are issues with benefits and costs of most of these vaccines being thrown at cats. Some are even known to create tumors at the site of the vaccination. Now I don't want to fall sick but I also don't want to be unnecessarily vaccinated. To the right you will find a link to an article published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) in 2006 laying out some guidelines for vaccinating us felines. Thanks to Trini for providing the article! Please disperse as widely as you can so us felines are not caused pain needlessly.

And thanks to Marian, another friend of my human, who when she heard about my vet experience, sympathized and recommended a new and nicer vet. She hopes that I am not turned off vets forever but I am.

The only not-bad news to come of the whole debacle is that my human knows I'm a big cat now (though I could have told you that without a trip to the vet). I used to be a 6 pounder when I was at the shelter. I am now sleek and long and 8 pounds heavy. I can rock my favorite couch if I hit it at a full run. My muscles are so compact and strong. I think my human is in awe of me. I get lots of kisses on what she calls nosies and pawsies (obviously, while I am fully grown, she still has a ways to go). Oh and she has taken to calling me stinky fish face. But I know envy when I hear it.

Guantanameow

In my list of things dairy that I adore, I forgot to add ice cream. How could I forget ice cream! I think I have been under a lot of stress lately. That could explain it. Every time I want to step out to catch the breeze, I am squeezed into this contraption called a harness. It is humiliating and very un-catly. The bunnies get to run past me. If only I didn't have this on, I would show em a thing or two. And the birds wheeze by making all happy sounds because they know they are safe even though a predator is around. That makes my teeth chatter.

Despite the shackles, I hunted and provided for myself. It was just my cat genes at work. Not like I ever hunted before or was shown how or was starving or anything. Like a natural. Just came to me. (Those of you who are owned by cats know what I mean.) There it was flying around, and I made short work of it. No point wasting it either- so I ate it.

What? Well, it wasn't exactly a bird. But it could have been. Well, if you must know, it was a fly. But it was almost as big as a small bird and quite fast. Anyway, flies are harder to catch cos they zig and zag and birds just fly straight. It probably takes less skill to catch a bird and if I didn't have this harness holding me back, who knows then. Anyway, even with the harness, I took the fly out.

How could she do this to a feline? As if I was a dog! When this hits the web there will be a scandal to equal some detention centers recently in the news (use picture on left to break the story on national sheets, please).

Speaking of dogs, I saw one walking along merrily on a harness the other day. (Watching it, I am even more convinced this harness thing must be illegal for felines. I am sure there is something in the Geneva Convention to that effect.) It wagged its tail and tried to be all friendly like so I decided to hunker down and launch an attack soon as it was within range. But my female pet called its owner to warn it about a lethal threat to that defenseless critter. Bummer!

I've been thinking and thinking about the payback for the humiliation of the harness. Well, something besides the physical pain I will inflict on her (yea, its always the round one that gets the horrid torture device on me). After much deliberation, I have put into action a new plan. I sit next to her when she starts to eat, I just stare up down at each morsel entering her maw. She has tried to offer me some to convince me it is nothing I would want. He he. As if. I sniffed at her paw and looked away from the stuff she was eating (who would eat lentils, rice and veggies without tuna? or cream?) to make the point that I certainly did not want to be putting that stuff into my body. Anyway, by the end of her meal she was muttering as I made her realize how much she was eating as I stared from plate to hand to mouth diligently. I even tried to take some food away with my paw to make the point. She squawked. He he. Gonna do it again tomorrow.

Dunderheads and Dairy

Let me tell you a little bit about my humans. One is paler and taller and the other is darker and shorter. You know what they say about darker haired pets triggering more allergic reactions. Not true. After I first got here, the lighter one would come near me and look at me as if he was going to sneeze. He always set me off sneezing with that silly anticipatory expression. And I think he may have ticks or something because I only had to look at him to get him whining and scratching. Most likely he was pretending because the other one went up and swat him a few times when he did that and he stopped. It must work because he doesn't scratch that often anymore. You should try that on your human if you have had similar scratchy issues. The darker one doesn't make me sneeze or anything but she has her own issues. She likes to sit around motionless mostly but then from time to time she goes berserk and starts chasing me around the place. I like to think she is getting some much-needed exercise so I skip along and stay a few paces ahead of her. I know if she gets too boisterous I have to give her a gentle but firm swat with my nails. That usually calms her down quick.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like my humans. They are so opposite and can be a handful sometimes but they are cute with their silly antics. Mostly they clown around and keep me entertained. They have their own bed in one place of the house. And they go sleep there when tired. It is good that they are house-broken about this issue because I wouldn't like them to sleep all over. I mean it is ok for us cats but humans really should be trained to sleep in their own beds. I do have free access to the bed - well, let me qualify that. The male human can be quite cantankerous once he gets into bed. Very possessive and all. He seems to think it is "his" bed. He shares it with the female but if I feel like jumping on the bed in the middle of the night I hear all kinds of protests and hissing from him. He thinks he has won if he pushes me off. I wait for him to put his head back on the pillow and jump on again. By the third time in one night, he usually quietens down and realizes who is in charge. Persistence is the key. (That is a picture of me on the bed that the humans sleep on. Plenty of room, say I.)

The taller one seems to be an outdoorsy type because he is gone for days on end. The other one is a home-body. So I try to keep her active (see above for one example) and make sure to monitor her food. She gets pretty finicky when I do that, but a cat's gotta do what a cat's gotta do. At least they have come to realize that I like to drink my water from cups and glasses just like them. They are now trained to leave a cup with water for me. But let me not make myself out to be more difficult than I am - I have no problems with sharing if they forget. And I loooove dairy. I have heard them say that dairy is not good for me but murrrrr, I looooove dairy. Sour cream, milk, cheese, dairy desserts, cream, and milky desserts. I loooooove dairy. Oh the weather is nice again. I think I shall go sit on the stoop and bask in the sun. Maybe I will even have some dairy dessert.