Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cat. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Wordless Wednesday - Her Kingdom
Tuesday night. Her second night home and she was still recovering from surgery. But not that you could tell from her insistent requests to leave the large crate.
"For a few minutes" I tell her. "Your tummy needs to heal."
Not that you know from watching her. I turned her loose in just the bathroom. Away from the dog and in a small space. She rubbed my legs. Jumped to the next highest vantage point. Back to my legs to rub. Then up a bit higher. Not a bit timid. She looked around as though she's checking to make sure everything is in it's place.
Tonight, she has explored the rest of the place, for a few minutes at a time. As though she owns the place. Mittens the Queen.
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| BlogPaws WW Blog Hop Disclaimer: In affiliation with Amazon.com, Dawn Rae is a content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of Amazon products. |
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Mittens the Maleficent Kitten
Oh my dear Mittens-the-kitten. She's going to be something else. I can already feel it.
Just two days ago, I told the tale of how I found and adopted my tiny Mittens. I shared with you how the name tag on that cage at the shelter generously and hopefully described her as "spirited". Frankly, I had many other ways of describing her to friends and family, some of those ways were not G-rated. Even so, I was counting down the days and the hours until I could bring my baby home from the shelter today.
I had changed my schedule and prepared to drive that 40-45 minutes out of the way. As I was shutting down the computer at work and shrugging on my jacket, my cell phone rang.
"We have bad news" the shelter employee began.
Oh gosh. I sat down expecting to hear that something had gone horribly wrong with the surgery.
No, it wasn't that type of bad news, the woman assured me. In fact, Mittens-the-Spirited hadn't even had her surgery. She had scratched the veterinarian prior to the surgery. And is now on a 10 day hold; in part to rule out rabies. I scheduled the time to pick her up in 10 days.
Oh, whew, is that all? That was my initial reaction. Then I started to think about it. Rabies? She had scratched me and drawn blood when I visited her. And if she already had her rabies shot, and had been at the shelter 9 days at least, wouldn't they already know? Do cats really give spread rabies through scratches? The questions spun in my head and something didn't seem right.
So I drove down to the shelter anyway. Why not? After all, I had already gotten to work an hour early today to cover the time I was leaving early. I might as well.
It turns out to be a legal thing, when an animal (I can't decipher whether this covers only shelter animals or all pets) causes injury, it must be held for 10 days for observation. Yes, if my Mittens has rabies, she would have been showing signs by now. Yes, she could have still had rabies even though she was recently vaccinated. But no, she's not showing symptoms. It is possible but unlikely to get rabies via a scratch. However, Cat Scratch Fever is more than just a Ted Nugent song, it is a disease and I should have had my scratch checked by a doctor.
No, they don't think she was a feral cat. She just "doesn't like to be held". Those shelter workers sure know how to give generous descriptions.
I will still bring my Mittens the Maleficent home, in 10 days, provided she doesn't have rabies. She still has to be spayed. And I wasn't quick enough to think to ask, what if she injures the vet during the next surgery attempt? Do the 10 days start over? I sure hope not. Otherwise, she'll never get out of there.
I don't feel the need to have a lap cat. So I'm not concerned that she doesn't like to be held. I am a smidge concerned she gets agitated easily and I am concerned that she will not be happy in a home with Willy, my active dog. I am already shopping around for a cat tree or house to help her have her own space.
So please, cross your fingers and hope that my spirited Mittens will behave and will be able to come home in 10 days.
Disclaimer: In affiliation with Amazon.com, Dawn Rae is a content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of Amazon products
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| Mittens' mug shot |
I had changed my schedule and prepared to drive that 40-45 minutes out of the way. As I was shutting down the computer at work and shrugging on my jacket, my cell phone rang.
"We have bad news" the shelter employee began.
Oh gosh. I sat down expecting to hear that something had gone horribly wrong with the surgery.
No, it wasn't that type of bad news, the woman assured me. In fact, Mittens-the-Spirited hadn't even had her surgery. She had scratched the veterinarian prior to the surgery. And is now on a 10 day hold; in part to rule out rabies. I scheduled the time to pick her up in 10 days.
Oh, whew, is that all? That was my initial reaction. Then I started to think about it. Rabies? She had scratched me and drawn blood when I visited her. And if she already had her rabies shot, and had been at the shelter 9 days at least, wouldn't they already know? Do cats really give spread rabies through scratches? The questions spun in my head and something didn't seem right.
So I drove down to the shelter anyway. Why not? After all, I had already gotten to work an hour early today to cover the time I was leaving early. I might as well.
It turns out to be a legal thing, when an animal (I can't decipher whether this covers only shelter animals or all pets) causes injury, it must be held for 10 days for observation. Yes, if my Mittens has rabies, she would have been showing signs by now. Yes, she could have still had rabies even though she was recently vaccinated. But no, she's not showing symptoms. It is possible but unlikely to get rabies via a scratch. However, Cat Scratch Fever is more than just a Ted Nugent song, it is a disease and I should have had my scratch checked by a doctor.
No, they don't think she was a feral cat. She just "doesn't like to be held". Those shelter workers sure know how to give generous descriptions.
I will still bring my Mittens the Maleficent home, in 10 days, provided she doesn't have rabies. She still has to be spayed. And I wasn't quick enough to think to ask, what if she injures the vet during the next surgery attempt? Do the 10 days start over? I sure hope not. Otherwise, she'll never get out of there.
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| TRIXIE Pet Cat Tree |
So please, cross your fingers and hope that my spirited Mittens will behave and will be able to come home in 10 days.
Disclaimer: In affiliation with Amazon.com, Dawn Rae is a content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of Amazon products
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Mittens the Kitten
This is Mittens. She is a 7 month old kitten at the local animal shelter.
I have been considering adding a cat and a dog to the family for about a year. I kept flipping back and forth about which would come first, cat or dog.
Then I found Mittens. And the decision was made.
She is listed as a "spirited" kitten. The definition of spirited seems to be as follows - she puts her head down to be rubbed and after less than a minute passes she scratches, or hisses, or bites, or all three. She does all of this while purring and flicking her tail tip.
I came home with three scratches on my hand and the adoption paperwork. She remains at the shelter in order to have her spaying completed. I pick her up on Thursday.
I will introduce her to Willy, my dog, slowly. As much for her comfort as his protection! And I will hope for the best. I don't want a cat that scratches and hisses. But I think she will settle in and be the type of independent and opinionated cat that I like.
During my adventure of shelter visits, I was reminded that I really, really like cats. Many cats. I could probably easily become the crazy, old, cat lady. There is only one type of cat that I don't care for and those are orange tabbies. And I only recently remembered the stray cat that bit the hand that fed it (mine, as a 7 year old child) was an orange tabby. The mystery has been solved about my hesitance about orange tabbies. Now that I've remembered that, maybe someday I'll like orange tabbies. Until then, I love every other type of cat there is.
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| 365 CATS Calendar |
I've decided to get a cat calendar for my desk at work. So I can enjoy looking at many different cats without bringing them all home. I found this calendar and love the little story bits that come on each page.
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| Bergan Turbo Scratcher Cat Toy |
I also have some shopping to do. I've purchased the required things I need; litter box, carrier, litter, scoop, and etc. I'm sure she will need some toys to keep her occupied. I'm holding off a bit on the toys. I want to get to know her a bit better so I have a better idea of what she might like. But I'll purchase one of these immediately. My last cat loved it.
In my experience it seems that cats, much like dogs, do not develop problem behaviors if they have enough mental or physical stimulation. Cat toys in addition to attention from their human will usually keep cats from clawing the furniture.
I am so excited. I can't wait for Thursday to arrive and my kitten to come home.
Disclaimer: In affiliation with Amazon.com, Dawn Rae is a content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of Amazon products
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