Cats

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by Haasome

Molly looks a bit ticked off!

I think I just caught her mid blink ... She's very good natured.

Definitely not as ticked off as I am, been struggling to post a pic for about an hour now, first from imgur then from flickr ....

Anyoldhoo .... seem to be getting it now, my first attempts were either too big or too small....

All part of my preparations for a possible forthcoming NGD...

[ThermiteTermite]

She is indeed cute. I thought she looked like she was about to whack you for taking the pic. Maybe she was just in the middle of one of those slow blinking kitty kisses that I read about.

[RP]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Assuming I couldn't get KevWind's cat to come hang around my house, I'd go for a Chausie if I were so inclined to get an indoor cat. However, LJ's is a really cool looking cat....

[BrunoBlack]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Not me I love cats.... I don't own any or feed any....... but I loved having Kitty Kitty come stay the night in the garage . Ya she knocked over a whole stack of scaffolding frames when she jumped up into the trusses but she sure was cute. I desperately wanted to pull the three porcupine quills out of her, but she declined

That could be a problem on your farm. What did you end up doing?

[PearlJamNoCode]

Glad I found this thread!

There is an elderly couple in our neighborhood and everyday they take a walk with their daughter, and a nice orange and white cat is always in tow. We see him every morning standing on their front steps, just hanging out. He's very nice, and seems to be an inside/outside cat, because whenever it is cold we never see him. The family that he follows around seems to take good care of him, but he loves coming to our door and getting treats.

A few years ago my wife and I were renting a house in Center City Philadelphia. The renting company would not let us have a dog, so I reluctantly agreed to visit a the animal shelter with my wife to look at the cats. I've never had a cat, never wanted one, but while we were there I saw a little tabby cat who was just dying for attention, and I immediately fell in love. We took her home the next day.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Haasome

That could be a problem on your farm. What did you end up doing?

This "Kitty" incident took place in my detached garage (back 1/2 gets used for winter hay storage) After getting some pictures I opened the the Auto door and waited for about 30 minutes , but she did not come out . In the previous photo she is lying on top of a stack of hay bales at the back of the garage. Just to right out of photo frame is a wall between my work shop and the garage proper . So I went in the shop and banged on wall and she bolted out the Auto door never to be seen again.

Shop is along the side with the window

[RP]

Let it not be said that I don't have affection for some Stray Cats...

[amyFB]

When cold weather brings the mice crawling into the woodwork of my home, I have an annual debate with myself about whether or not to get a cat or two.

A variety of lifestyle characteristics creates challenges with choosing to own a living pet. ( currently, I have a bunch of pet rocks and stone statuaries).

Recently I find myself doing a fresh Ben Franklin T chart , modified, on the pros and cons of owning a cat, and I thought I'd post them here for a fresh bit of input to consider along with my long-running objections.

PRO CON Mitigation
1 warm snuggler 1 sharp claws 1 careful play
2 cuddly companion 2 shedding fur 2 shed-free breed
3 low maintanence 3 litter box required 3 self cleaning style
4 entertaining playmate 4 poor impluse control 4 cat-proof the place
5 easy to litter train 5 odorous leavings 5 diet?
6 can be neutered 6 'spray' prevention not guaranteed 6 ??
7 self-cleaning 7 'spray' odor never ever goes away, not ever,
7 ???

I think it is the risk of a cat who 'sprays' that stops me before all other objections. It ruins any porous surface that it contacts! I cannot stand the smell of a 'cat house', and it only takes one whoops to ruin the day.

So, right now, I think if someone could tell me if it is truly possible to guarantee a spray-free cat, I might be better able to 'deal with' the other challenges on the CON list.

[PearlJamNoCode]

Cats spray when they feel stressed or insecure in their territory. If you have a quiet, comfortable home, without a lot of strays/ferals running around outside, and have the pet neutered or spayed early, spraying should be rare/non-existent.

[RP]

If the issue is strictly rodent control inside the house, I found these high-frequency repellants from Lowes to work very well....

[Herb Hunter]

Originally Posted by Gasworker

My yard is like a bird sanctuary. Houses everywhere and babies all spring and summer. Feeders with regular top ups all winter.
Neighbourhood cats eat the birds like chips. I bought a little dog to chase the cats out and caught her playing with them rather than chasing them.
Now it's buckets of water at the ready. Keep your furry friends indoors
http://www.theonion.com/graphic/rain...ign=&utm_term=

A chipmunk and red squirrel would come to me for peanuts when ever i lingered in our yard, taking peanuts from my hand. I enjoyed feeding them but then my neighbor got Fred, a cat they adopted having found it as a kitten in an open field with no sign of the mother. Fred is a nice cat but he goes after the chipmunks and squirrels in my yard.

I have two cats who don’t pine for the outdoor world because they don’t no it exists as I have never let them out of the house. I wish more people kept their cats indoors.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

...I wish more people kept their cats indoors.

Yeh, me too. I hope that the following message will be heeded by some of those who persist in turning their cats loose in neighborhoods....

[Twelvefret]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

A chipmunk and red squirrel would come to me for peanuts when ever i lingered in our yard, taking peanuts from my hand. I enjoyed feeding them but then my neighbor got Fred, a cat they adopted having found it as a kitten in an open field with no sign of the mother. Fred is a nice cat but he goes after the chipmunks and squirrels in my yard.

I have two cats who don’t pine for the outdoor world because they don’t no it exists as I have never let them out of the house. I wish more people kept their cats indoors.

Here in lies the problem. Cat's are not the problem, but humans who choose to live close to each other. My cat is spayed and has 12 acres to roam. That's more natural than keeping the poor thing in a house while gaining weight and developing diabetes from being over fed.

[AmericanEagle]

Originally Posted by Twelvefret

Here in lies the problem. Cat's are not the problem, but humans who choose to live close to each other. My cat is spayed and has 12 acres to roam. That's more natural than keeping the poor thing in a house while gaining weight and developing diabetes from being over fed.

Your statements are unfair. You are very lucky to have 12 acres.
My yard is 1/8 of an acre. yes, one eighth.
I cannot afford to live far away in Western MA or another state,
that has tons of land, and buy a house with 10 or 12 acres.
If I let my cat outside, he would be dead in a week.
Run over by a car, eaten by a coyote, attacked by a dog,
getting beaten-on by the bad kids in town, etc...
My cat may be a bit bored, but I assure you, he is very healthy,
not obese, and has no illnesses. He also has no ticks or fleas,
and is free of the deadly viruses that cats can get.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Twelvefret

Here in lies the problem. Cat's are not the problem, but humans who choose to live close to each other. My cat is spayed and has 12 acres to roam. That's more natural than keeping the poor thing in a house while gaining weight and developing diabetes from being over fed.

That's really about the silliest rationalization I've ever read. Housecats, as the name implies, are domesticated not a wild species. People should take responsibility for their pets whether they're inside or outside - it is not the responsibility of neighbors to own enough land to keep roving pets at bay. And if you don't want them to gain weight, there's an alternative to buying them 12 acres on which to roam. Just don't feed them so much....