Sparky 

We saw him crawl down to the patio brick covered ground, head first, then heard rustling of leaves.  The other side of the enclosure is densely packed with wild violets, around 5 inches high. We went out to the enclosure with a flashlight and looked all over but no sign of the opossum.  He must have scooted really fast out the opened door into the violet patch without us seeing.  It was rather dark.   We don't really know how he got in the enclosure.   I sure hope he doesn't try to get back in, but I doubt it after the terrible fright he had.  I don't know why he came in either, unless he smelled the water in the water bowl that was out in the enclosure.  We don't have any food out there.  Or maybe he was just exploring.

Back to top

August 11, 2005

Galen has been eating well lately, but he had regurgitated some dry food the other day.  Yesterday, he made a moaning sort of sound then spit up some froth.  I was thinking it was related to the excess acids CRF (chronic renal failure) cats sometimes get.  But then a little later, he made that moaning sound again, and threw up the largest hairball I ever saw or even imagined!  This thing was HUGE!  At first I though it was mouse he swallowed whole due to the size and the fur being gray (even though that is not possible) and regurgitated up.  It was about three inches long and very fat- fatter than a cigar, about mouse thickness.  I don't know how it came up his throat.  Then a few hours later, he threw up another hairball, but a normal sized one.  My poor baby.

Needless to say, he seemed perkier afterwards and then really had a great appetite, begging for the Purina One we feed to the strays and eating all I put out for him, then eating more dry food in the food bowls, and eating most of his canned food meal.  I am surprised he had been eating rather well the days prior to and just before upchucking the giant hairball.

I am extremely shocked about it, as I do groom my cats regularly.  I hadn't been grooming Galen every day, but still, it was more hair in his stomach than would be normal since I do groom him about twice a week, sometimes more.  I think he may be shedding more from the stress of the frequent vet visits and the needle sticks at home when we give him his fluids.  That's the only thing I can think of to explain just how much hair got in his stomach. I have seen him groom little Seamus briefly.  Maybe he does it more than I ever see which would add more hair into his stomach.  Sometimes he grooms Minerva too.

I'll be combing him and all the others more often now for sure.  I was going to take a picture of this giant hairball, but my husband threw it out and I didn't want to search through the garbage.  But I can really see now how a cat might need surgery to remove a hairball.  

Back to top

We have a Catio, (pictured on the left) which is the brand name of a clear lucite box that fits in a window like an air conditioner, for the cats to use to get more of a view and more room to stretch or curl up at a window than they can on a window sill.  The cats have loved it greatly for the past 5 years.  

Last night, when I was still on the computer, I heard a strange noise from my bedroom like something falling.  I went in and saw Seamus on the hamper below the window the Catio is in, peering cautiously, as if he was worried.  I looked in the Catio, and the back "wall" was gone, having fallen off!  The bottom was also separated from one of the sides.

We did a head count, and Jolie was missing.  Apparently, she must have gone into the catio when it then started to break, and either slid out as the floor sunk down and the back came off, or took the opportunity to go on a little exploration outside.

I found her on the other side of the house, in my neighbor's yard, sniffing around his back porch and garbage can.  When Simon and Galen got out previously, that's the same spot they always go too.  It is what the cats see everyday from the enclosure so I guess they decide that is the first place to go explore.  Anyway, she wouldn't let me catch her at first, spending some time going under my neighbor's enclosed porch that is in between his house and garage, and sniffing around leisurely.  She came out the other side, finished with her sniffing, and then let me pick her up.

The Catio was, strangely, designed for a litter box to go in, so has a big door to fit a litter box through and then get shut, and a regular small cat flap.  We never intended to have a litter box sitting in there, for the neighbors to watch our cats eliminate, so we taped open the big door so the cats had a wide entry way.  My husband taped it firmly shut, thinking it was now cat proof.  But, he had forgotten about the cat flap part, since he was already in bed and still sleepy when it happened, and the curtain was in front of it.

I was finally about to go to bed about two hours later, when I heard a strange noise out from the back porch.  It was Seamus, frantically trying to get back in the latticed-in back porch.  He was climbing all over searching for a way to get in.  He obviously had found the cat flap access in the Catio so went out the window.  I don't know how long he was out, but he sure did want to get back in, having gone around the house to the back porch and enclosure side to try to get back in where he knew the door was.  The other cats were all just sitting on the porch, watching him.

I plucked him off the lattice and brought him inside.  He seemed a bit scared and went straight to the dry food, chowing down, then had a big drink of water.

The good thing about all this is that Seamus wants to be back in the house where he belongs and feels he belongs, so if he did sneak out again, likely he would do as he did and try to get back in.  My other cats have always wound up by the door to the enclosure waiting to be let back in the few times they escaped, (except Sumner and Minerva never escaped) but I didn't know what Seamus would do.

The horrific thing about it is that the Catio could have come apart at any time, such as one day when both my husband and I were at work, and the cats could wind up outside for many hours, with no way to get back inside.  Even more horrific is that it could have waited to collapse when we go out of town for a few days at Christmas to visit relatives.  Our neighbor comes by to tend to the cats, but if some were missing, well, they would be missing.  I'm sure he would look around outside to see if they somehow got out, but if they weren't around, I don't know what would happen.  Simon loves that neighbor and meows "conversations" to him whenever Simon sees him from the enclosure, and my neighbor talks back to Simon.  Simon would for sure follow the neighbor back into the house so he would get fed some canned food if he was around when the neighbor came by to feed them.  Probably Simon would be by the enclosure, yelling for my neighbor when it got to be canned food time.

Back to top

About two years ago, Simon spent a few months bringing in crickets and grasshoppers to my other cats, trying to teach them to hunt them.  Simon was from the streets, and is a hunting cat, but limited now to bugs in the enclosure.  Anyway, he would carry the crickets or grasshoppers in with the special call, and the other cats would gather around curiously stare at Simon's catch.  Simon would sit back watching, but the other cats just sat and watched too.  Simon would approach the live insect and swat it, then sit back, for one of the other cats to do the same.  They would just sit there.  One or two would get close to sniff or tentatively touch the cricket or grasshopper, but when it hopped they moved back.  Simon kept trying to show them what to do, but finally he just went ahead and ate them, or left the room in disgust. Galen sort of picked up on it, but after two episodes of catching slugs and having terrible slime mouth, (that stuff is hard to wipe off teeth) he is not too keen on bringing in critters he finds in the enclosure.

Simon tried to teach the other cats for a while to catch grasshoppers and crickets, but finally gave up teaching them. I think he was trying to teach me for a while too, as he would bring me bugs with his special call, hit the bugs in front of me, then sit back and watch the same as he did with the cats. I never caught and ate the bugs either, though I did pretend to admire them.  My husband just picked up the bugs immediately and took them outside.  Simon doesn't bring my husband bugs anymore since he is obviously an ingrate about Simon's efforts.

The other cats will try to catch and eat moths, other small flying insects, and beetle type bugs that scurry quickly though. I guess crickets and grasshoppers seem scarier or something with how they just sit there then hop all of sudden.

Back to top

I wasn't diligent enough sneaking through the door separating Simon and Calli, and Simon ran out with Calli sitting about three feet from the doorway. Calli is pictured on the left. I think Simon may have been lying in wait to get the chance to dart out.  I made the big mistake of yelling out, "No!", which might have added stress to Simon.  Anyway, he stopped in front of Calli and starting his pre-attacking yowling.  My husband stood in between them and tried to shoo Simon away, but Simon wouldn't move.  So my husband then reached towards Simon to carry him away.  Quicker than the speed of light, Simon embedded his claws tightly and deeply into my husband's hand and wrist area then bit him.  My husband yanked his arm to get it out of Simon's grip, but Simon would not let go until my husband shoved him off with his other hand.  Simon still would not move away, though and was still in attack mode, so my husband had to shove him with his foot to make him move off and quit going for him.

All the commotion did get Calli to dart in the correct direction into the room Simon just came from, fortunately, so I could quickly close her in.  But then Sparky (who can't be mingled with Simon either) had escaped out of his area somehow, and when my husband started yelling, he ran right behind Simon to get out of the room.  I feared Simon would bloody up Sparky, but Simon was scared by then from all the yelling and panic and hid behind the toilet in the laundry room he and Sparky ran into, and Sparky ran out the pet door into the enclosure.  So I closed off the pet door, got all of the other cats shut away from Simon, got a carrier to go out and retrieve Sparky and set him in his correct area.  I was able to give Simon his asthma inhaler, interestingly, but he was then in scared hiding cat mode trying to lay low.  Then it was off to the ER.

My husband didn't need stitches, but he did need an updated tetanus shot, some antibiotics and pain meds.  Simon got the area by the thumb, and my husband can't really use his hand.  It got puffy too and the pain went from his hand up along the nerve to his elbow.  Cat wounds hurt a LOT. Still, I am glad it wasn't poor sort of helpless obese older Calli who got tore up.  She might have wound up with chunk of flesh torn out as she would not have been able to shake Simon off.

So, I guess we need to try to find a home for Calli, which is going to be very hard as not many people want an obese, 10 year old cat who sometimes makes swipes and bites when one pets her too much.  She's nothing like Simon, though.  No cat I ever knew in my life is like Simon.  He's a combination of a tame, people loving house cat with a sweet side, and a wild, territorial street cat who believes in "shoot first, and forget about asking any questions later".  He actually is scared inside, but covers it with being aggressive.  We are going to ask the ask the vet for some meds for Simon, something like Prozac or one of the other meds sometimes used for high strung cats.  Then if we ever do get to rehome Calli, he could be weaned off the meds.  We can't rehome Simon with the way he is, plus needing his asthma treatments twice a day.  He redirected aggression onto me too a few months ago in a similar manner, but it was on my arm and I didn't bother going to the doctor.  Maybe I should have gone but it didn't get infected.

Michelle can't call soon enough about when she can take Sparky.  Calli has been hiding a lot when the Sparks gets revved up, and sometimes Jolie hides too.  Though she sometimes tries to hold her ground.   Now Sparky is trying to dominate the other cats and Sumner and Galen were each seen neck gripping each other.  I don't know if they were practicing to perfect doing it back to Sparky or it all the cats are now going through a big shake up.  Probably the latter.  Sumner did finally smack Sparky in the head when Sparky was yet again jumping on him and Sumner did do the neck grip dominating hold on Sparky.  That was good to help Sparky not feel like he is the All Powerful Cat and maybe he will quit harassing Sumner so much.  I pray Michelle's cats do ok with him.  Right now, Sparky is very social for the company of other cats and likes them around.  To do some dominating, yes, but he still is a kitten and wants to play friendly-like as well.

Simon was a good boy today.  Sumner and Galen had a brief to-do with Galen yelping.  Then Simon came posturing over at Sumner with that challenging head-tilt, ear cocked pose, but as soon as my husband walked in the room Simon ran behind the toilet again and sat in a submissive "I'm a good, calm, innocent cat" pose.  We know Simon didn't make Galen yelp, but Simon probably was worried he was going to get in trouble for it.

Simon isn't as bad as it must sound since I mostly describe his aggressive side.  Just now he came meowing with he sweet sound and dropped one of stuffed rats for me a present.  This afternoon I napped on the couch and he climbed up on me kneading and purring for many minutes, which is not something he does often.  He's a good cat, really (except when he's not LOL!). 

It's hard being Simon, full of fears and worries about stranger cats.  He must have been beaten up when he was on the streets before we took him in, and he wasn't full grown then either, just about Sparky's 7-9 months old age, except he was the size of a full grown cat then.  If he ran into to the likes of a cat like he is now, he sure had a traumatic time as a "teenager" in regards to unknown cats.  He came to us with animal fight scars, all his claws broken, and a tooth newly chipped, so something bad had happened to him prior to his coming here.  Likely he got chased off by one of the stray Toms and fell from a height in a panicked escape.  He wouldn't leave my porch for three days and nights, so he must have felt he needed sanctuary.

So he really is a scared kind of cat, just big and strong and confident enough in his physical abilities to fight that which he fears might get him, and all unknown cats are seen as possible enemies in his eyes.  Except for fluffy, smooshy Persian Marty we had a short while.  Simon let Marty eat food out from under his nose.  But the key was that Marty NEVER hissed or growled, only made appeasing little purrt noises to Simon and he acted like a submissive little kitten, not the young adult he was age-wise.  Calli and Dolly hissed at him when he came near them, so being hissed at by new cats is one of his deciding factors. 

March 23, 2003 8PM

There were four kittens at first (see picture on the left), but she took one away and ran off with it after I had put the kittens in a box and then placed in the little cat house (like a dog house) my husband had built in case that white cat would want a shelter when she came into our yard.  I was hoping to catch her when she came, but she waited until I had to go use the bathroom to grab one of her kittens. My neighbor's shed no longer exists, as my neighbor was taking it down when the kittens were found.  I hope the mother cat found a good, safe home to bring that kitten to.

The mother cat didn't come back after three hours from when she made off with the one kitten, so since it was getting cold and breezy, and will be in the mid 30's tonight with a frost advisory, I didn't know what to do, so I brought the remaining three kittens inside.  The mother cat did finally make an appearance in my yard a while ago, but I wasn't sure how good it would be to put the kittens back out in the cool air, so I didn't.  Plus Stumpy, the stray tail-less tom cat was hanging around by then, so I wasn't sure they would be safe (he might be the father, though, but that doesn't mean he would be nice to them).

My worries:  The kittens have basically been sleeping since found at around 2:00- 2:30.  It's now 8:00.  Teeny kittens need to eat every few hours.  They did wake up when I picked each up to examine them, mewled, squirmed with good strength, then went back to sleep when put back in their nest box.  They seem very healthy.  They have changed "cuddle" positions several times, and have stretched their arms and legs out, so they seem to have energy.  They can crawl.  I tried to feed them with a kitten bottle and KMR, but they didn't want to eat- just want to sleep.  One of them got very upset at being disturbed, squirming, crying a lot and trying to crawl up me, so I put it back with it's siblings, and it feel peacefully asleep again.

So, do I just let them keep on sleeping, or do I wake them and try to make them eat?  I read on a site about orphan kittens that when first found, they might not be hungry for a while as real mother's milk "lasts" longer than KMR.

Next worry:  One of the kittens still has shriveled umbilical cord attached.  It's about 1 1/2 inches long, and black.  Do I try to do something, or just leave it?

Third worry:  Will they live?  I think they are almost two weeks old, but may be younger, if the umbilical cord stump is still there.  Though, there wasn't hardly any room in that bucket for the mother cat to fit, let along fit in and do good grooming jobs on the four kittens.  Their eyes are shut still, but two of them semi- opened an eye for a second or two.  One of them peed on it's own.  Their ears are still curled over.  They are nicely furred.  That would make them just under two weeks old.

Fourth worry:  What if they won't suckle?  Do I just open their mouths and squeeze a drop or two at a time in?

One of the biggest problems is making the correct sized hole in the nipples!!  The websites say to make it so one drop can come out when held upside down.  You would think this would be easy, but it's not.  It takes a lot more than a pin to make the correct sized hole, a pin hole which is what the package directions say to do.  It is also too easy to make a hole too large.  Guess that's why each bottle came with three nipples.  Two for practice.  For anyone else who will be bottle feeding kittens, don't follow the bottle package directions.  The kittens will starve unless they are some mighty powerful suckers.  I don't understand why the nipples don't come with holes already in them.

I got Stumpy!!  He had a petting session with me on my front porch, then went down the street "calling" for a lady cat.  The white mother cat came around and he chased her, very "interested".  She calls too.  In heat again so soon!  Her kittens can't be more than 3 weeks old.  I got out my large kennel/carrier, put in a bowl of Felidae and waited near the feeding area.  After his dallying, he came to eat.  He just went on in the carrier, with me crouched right next to it.  His back end was sticking out, so I pushed him gently, he moved on in, then I shut the door!  

Only took two calls to vets for someone to be able to take him for tonight, and then neuter him tomorrow.  So I don't have to worry about where or how to overnight him.  Very convenient for him to come around during business hours.

Too bad they all can't be so easy.  I was surprised.  He is clearly another dumped pet.  But, there is some bit of hope for him.  The receptionist said a man had called today, wanting a male cat.  He works at a hospital.  Maybe he would be a decent owner for Stumpy, who we signed in as Bruce, sounding more dignified.  She was going to call the man to see if he would be interested in Bruce.  I hope so. 

May 6, 2003

When we picked up Stumpy Bruce, a different lady was there, but she didn't know anything about anyone wanting him.  I imagine if the man wanted him, there would be some notice about it.

So, he is now back in my yard.  I read that males can be released 12 hours after neutering, though longer might be better.  But we couldn't keep him in the house, and he was getting upset in the carrier, even though it was a large carrier.  Still a small area.

He makes trill sounds.  He can make a more classic "meow", but mostly he was "trilling" at me to let him out.  Interesting cat, with his stumpy tail.  He didn't run off either when I opened the door to the carrier.  Took some time to rub on me and get some head scritches before going to the feeding area in my yard.   Then he followed me to the front porch, and rubbed on all the front porch furniture.  I guess it's his porch now too. 

His age was estimated at around 4 years.  He has small eyes.  In his big head with his full male fat pouches, he looks sort of "beady eyed".  He is all gray, but with an "idea" of a rust color thinking about showing up.  He has short straight fur, but it is not silky smooth like the mother cat Penelope's (or my cats).

His trill is not a purrt.  It reminds me sort of the sound crickets make, except held for a longer time and not a whole bunch of them at once as crickets do.  But it was about that same pitch, with a melodic idea to it.  Didn't have any distinct consonant sounds.  It was reminiscent of purr sounds, but was not a purr.  It definitely was a friendly sound.

I guess he could be part Manx.  I wouldn't think there would be full blood Manx on the streets, but all sorts of people abandon all sorts of cats.  He is a very interesting, friendly, easy going cat.  Too bad I can't bring him in. He would be a great companion.  

May 19, 2003

The stray cat Bruce that I took to be neutered has now definitely made my front porch his home.  He is there a lot.  I put Simon's dog bed on top of the little porch chest Bruce took to sleeping on, and Bruce loves it.  He hopped up as soon as I set it down and seemed to say, "This is good."  Simon hasn't used it in a while, and besides, Simon has lots of soft furniture to sleep on inside, while Bruce had none.  Here is Bruce, resting in the comfort he deserves.  He looks so much better now, of course, from when I first saw him and started putting out food.  His fur is feeling cleaner and softer too now.

I bought Bruce one of those corrugated cardboard scratchers, laced with catnip, and he loves it.  He scratched on it, and stretched out on it, then flipped the cardboard out of the frame so he could lick up some of the catnip.  He also played with the fabric stuffed mouse I got him!  It's more rat sized, actually, and Bruce enjoyed grabbing it and wrestling with it.  Then he reclined on top of it too.  That must mean "This is mine".  I feed him his food on the porch also, so he doesn't have to travel to the back to the common feeding area.  It's not as good as living inside, but it seems like an decent situation- for the warm weather, anyway.  My front porch is about 15" x 12", a nice sized "room", and has two walls from the house, so it is semi-protected from the wind.  It has a roof too, so no rain will get on Bruce as he sleeps and eats.

I apparently am Bruce's person.  Penelope stray's too.  The other night, I was petting them in the back yard, (they like each other) and Penelope walked off.  I followed, hoping she was going to her nest, so I could find where it was.  Bruce followed me.  Then Penelope stopped for both of to catch up to her.  We walked around from the back alley of my house, around several houses, then back to the front porch past the front of all the houses.  Since Penelope wasn't going to be going to her nest, I just headed to my front porch.  It was like I was walking dogs.  They were going to go where ever I went.  Penelope would trot ahead a bit, then stop and look back, waiting for Bruce and I to catch up.  He is slow.  He even trailed behind me.  Animal/human relationships are very interesting.  Cats do seem to like people in general, not just for food.  They both just wanted to be with me and weren't hungry, as I had already stuffed their faces.  This makes it hard, since I can't let them in my house.  I love them and they love me.  It should be happy, but is also sad.

Twice this week I was awakened early morning to Bruce wailing in his angry way, and saw Homeless Myron Tomcat on the porch right up near Bruce.  I think Myron likes Bruce, as I have seen him sitting somewhat near Bruce before.  (Or maybe he learned that Bruce is good at finding resources, so follows him around to try to take over what Bruce has found.)   Myron was checking out the new pet bed Bruce was on one of the times, and then was using Bruce's cardboard scratcher the other time.   Bruce did not get up and act like he might fight, but he sure sounded scary (to me anyway).  Myron did not go off right away either, so he is not afraid of Bruce.  I hope those two will get along.

Bruce wants to come in the house.  When I start to go outside, he starts to come in.  I am sure he must have lived in a house at one time.  Or maybe, he just figures where I go must be a good place.  I am so sad that I can't let him in.  I am going to keep trying to find a home for him, but likely that won't happen.  He's on the older side and not cute.  He looks good in that picture, but cute just doesn't describe him.  People want young, cute and pretty.  I think he is actually old, even though the vet estimated his age at 4.  He doesn't hear well it seems, or else he couldn't care less to turn his ears when one snaps behind his head, and he has a stiff back leg.  He ambles along, instead of sprightly walking.  He doesn't seem to groom as much as other cats.  I think he may feel stiff.  He just seems rather like an "old man".  I am so glad I was able to get him neutered, so he doesn't have to get involved with roaming and fighting over females.  And if he can't hear too well and is not sprightly, crossing streets would not be the best thing for him at all.  I'm trying to make my front porch a real cat happy place, so he will spend more of his time on it, and then just wander in my yard. 

Anyway, the whole point is that it is worth catching, neutering and feeding a stray homeless cat.  It does make their lives better, even if you can't let them live inside your house.

May 21, 2003

Bruce is taking things into his own hands regarding getting acquainted with my cats.  Today, while Bruce was hanging out in the backyard with me, he walked up to the latticed-in back porch where Simon and Jolie were peering out.  He made that friendly "mrrruh" purring/trilling noise at them, then touched noises with Jolie in friendly kitty greeting!   She didn't growl or hiss, but did back up with a noise that seemed like the cat equivalent of surprise after she accepted the nose touch.  (I am glad I had him vaccinated against the common cat diseases- but not feline leuk yet.)  Definitely not a hostile or defensive noise.  He then just calmly walked away.   Simon had moved back, seeming to not want to touch noses yet.  But, he did not growl or hiss when Bruce came up to the porch.

Bruce really wants to come in the house.  I had the front door opened, with just the screen door, and he meowed at the door.  When I opened it to go out to him, he tried to walk in.  I had told him yesterday that he needs to try to win over my cats if there is a chance for him to come in.   I don't really believe he understood, yet today it seemed like that is what he was trying to do.  When I didn't let him in, he did swipe at me, but he didn't scratch me.  Likely he was trying to get me out of the way so he could get in.

Bruce is FIV positive, moves inside

May 22, 2003

My sweet, gentle, homeless cat Bruce got tested a little while ago and while he does not have feline leukemia, he does have FIV.  So sad.   I hadn't had him tested when I took him to be neutered.  Right now he does not have symptoms and may live many years in a healthy state.  

It turns out that homeless intact Myron was not being friendly at all to Bruce those nights when he came onto my porch while Bruce was sleeping.  I knew Bruce did not want Myron sniffing around him so closely, since Bruce would let out loud wails if Myron came right up to him, but Bruce seemed as if he didn't mind if Myron wanted to rest on the other side of the porch.  But, Myron was actually testing Bruce's "defenses" and wanted to takeover the territory.  Early this morning my husband woke up to loud cat fight sounds, and saw Myron and Bruce fighting in the back yard feeding area.  My husband ran out of the house, barefoot, to save Bruce.  It was a serious kind of fight, but Bruce has no marks, just a bunch of his gray fur on the grass that got pulled out.

Bruce had run off, and we went out looking for him.  He came up to the porch where we, (and Penelope, his companion stray) were waiting for him to come home.  My husband decided that we would make Bruce an indoor cat after all.  That would be happy news, if only today's test had different results.  We set up Bruce in our guest room that has a connecting bathroom to spend a few hours so and Bruce and I could get some sleep.  I called in sick today (but honestly didn't feel swell) to tend to the matter of getting him to the vet.  The plan was to have him live outside during the day, and then sleep in at night, until full integration was achieved. 

We had moved the small cat pen to another part of our yard, since my husband is in the process of building a bigger pen by the house.  Bruce is in it now, so he could get some fresh air and maybe eliminate.  (He didn't use the litter box in our house all those hours.)  We will then have him in the guest "suite" tonight.  We both do have to go to work tomorrow, so will have to leave him inside until we get home, then will put him in the pen for a few hours of fresh air and views of his world.  We can't keep this up for long, though. 

May 23, 2003 

Yikes!  Bruce doesn't know about litter boxes!   Poor fellow.  He was urgently meowing and meowing at around 3 AM, for what I now know was to be let outside to what he knows as the bathroom.  Poor guy finally just had to go, #1 and 2.  He urinated on the bed, but when he started to defecate, I quickly put the litter box on the bed and put him in it.  He  went in it, then tried to "cover it" by scratching on the blankets.  I think he is super for not wanting to go in the house and really trying to tell me what the problem was.

He is learning, though.   This morning when I went in that bathroom, I saw him coming out of the litter box and then scratching at the floor in front of it, to "cover" whatever he did.  It's a start.  He needs a longer box.

One concern is that his feces were terribly smelly, the consistency of pudding, and a mustard color yellow.  Hope it's not the FIV rearing it's head but just some food/stress related thing.  Probably not, though.

May 25, 2003

We moved Bruce into the master bedroom which is larger and has more amenities (the Catio clear lucite window "extension box", and the "front porch within a porch", which is like a closet only the top of the walls are lattice above the perching shelves).  He sprayed my dresser, the soft cat carrier,  and urinated on this waste-of-money-little-supposed-cat scratcher-carpet-thing that none of my cats ever used other than as a mat to sit on.  He is not being bad, though, just doing his natural thing considering there are four years worth of "other" cat smells in the bedroom (not from urine though!).  I washed the dresser with Murphy's oil soap and that seemed to have worked.  The dresser is varnished/shellacked with some shiny substance so I can't imagine the urine penetrated the wood.  I am glad to have a good reason to toss that useless carpet thing.  The soft carrier fits in my washer so I washed it in the machine.  Doesn't seem to smell like urine now. 

I had some Nature's Miracle body cleaner, that is supposed to help with human cat allergies and also it says it cleans odor from the cat, so I poured some of that in the washer for the carrier and the sheets from last night.  Maybe it does the same as the Nature's Miracle sold to clean up urine.

He backed up to the hamper and was about to spray, but I went over and told him not to, and he didn't.  But now, I am thinking I should have left that Bruce-perfumed carpet thingy, so he might not think he needs to mark afresh.  Though, I don't want to sleep in a pissy smelling room.  I have some Feliway spray, but the time I used it in the past, it made my Simon go to town rubbing and rubbing to put HIS smell over the spots I sprayed (cats do know it is not their personal smell), so I worry it might make Bruce spray more.

May 25, 2003

Yay, Bruce's stools are now rather solid, and are light brown, not yellow.  How odd it is to become a person delighted with seeing certain kinds of bowel movements.

Maybe it was due to stress and diet change.  He still seems to not be so sure, or not so happy, about using the litter box to defecate.  Right before he has to go, he yells and yells, going to the window, seemingly asking to be let outside.  Finally, he goes in the box.  Around 3 AM is his defecation time.  I'm hoping he adjusts it to better hours so I don't get awakened with his "time to poop" announcement.

He just discovered mirrors today.  I heard him doing his yelling thing, and went in the bedroom to find him standing on my mirrored dresser, yelling at his reflection.  Fortunately, he seemed to figure out it is not another cat.  I hope he doesn't think the mirror is a portal for cats, so he won't spray it.  I think he is finishing stinking up my bedroom.  He has actually been rather good and considerate about it, mostly marking his dog bed and his cardboard scratching pad.  I realize I must leave his stinky things there, or he will just mark something else.  I have learned that cats don't only mark vertical objects.  What he does first for horizontal objects is to rub his butt on it first, then he just lets out a drop or two of urine.  He sniffs his spots every once in a while, and refreshes them as needed. 

I was going to start letting him have some time in the other rooms, but I don't think I will since he needs to mark places.  Maybe after a while, he will feel like the house is his own territory for sure, and that the other cats won't be trying to make him leave, and will quit needing to mark.

On nice afternoons when I get home from work, I transport him out to the "old" little pen for a bit of fresh air and change of view.  I can't see that we will be able to find a home for him, particularly since right now he feels the need to mark his territory with urine.

My other cats are accepting his being behind the closed doors.  They want to go in that room, but when I crack the door and they spy Bruce, they quit being so eager to go in.  My three males are taking to Bruce much better than my two females.  Not sure why.  Bruce is mildly interested in my other cats.  I took turns putting my other cats in a carrier and setting it in the bedroom with Bruce so they can see what's behind the newly closed door.  Bruce purrts at them, sniffs a bit, then gets bored and walks away when my cats just sit looking at him.  When I put Bruce in a carrier and set him in another room, my girls come close, hiss, then back away.  My males just sniff curiously.  Bruce just purrts at them.  I don't think he cares about other cats being around, as long as they don't bother him.  I thought my more territorial Simon would hiss and growl at Bruce, but he doesn't.  Maybe because Bruce seems like an old tired cat (even thought two vets said he is only about 4, the same as Simon.  But he sure seems years older than Simon).

My husband was thinking about trying for free mingling, but I'm not sure about that.  I don't think Bruce would bite them, thereby spreading the FIV, if they did fight, but I have no idea how he would behave in a fight.  He was a street tom for a long time.  Likely does bite in a fight.  Someone bit him and infected him, so maybe he learned he needs to bite too in fights.  But even if that wasn't a concern, he could catch some illness from my cats, which his body cannot fight off.  Cats do get "colds" once-in-a-while, little mild bouts of sneezing for a few days, that resolves itself with no harm.  But Bruce could get really sick from a "cold" he may catch from one of my cats.I do want to be able to get at least Galen to be able to free mingle with Bruce.  Galen is my under-the-blankets snuggle baby at night, and I know he misses that (I sleep in the stinky room with Bruce.)   But, maybe I will just open the sofa bed and sleep on that, so my usual bed cats can resume their usual habit of cuddling with Mommy.  There is not room on the guest bed for my husband, me and the three main bed cats. 

It's not convenient, but a life is worth much more than mere convenience.  Maybe the stray cats are angels from God, to help us learn greater compassion and sacrifice, sacrifice which turns out to not be so at all.  Bruce has enriched our lives.  He is a gentle soul, and his touches mine.  I feel so happy and peaceful when I go in to cuddle and pet him.  He's made my life better, even if he has stunk up my bedroom.

May 28, 2003

Bruce is MOST particular about wanting a clean litter box.  As soon as he eliminates, he yells and yells for me to come in his room and scoop it out.  At first I didn't think that was really why he was calling, but now it is clearly consistent, plus he sits next to the box after going while waiting for me to come clean it up, really making that seem to be the case.  Goes to show how cats really do NOT want to use dirty litter boxes.  Bruce was used to never having to live near his eliminations in the big outdoors and does not want to do so now.  Nor should he have to. 

It is rather nice that this formerly homeless, scared cat is now so well adjusted to a proper cat life with a slave to tend all his needs on demand, and not being at all hesitant about summoning his slave. 

Back to top