The Mystery of Cats

Posted on January 4, 2015January 4, 2015 by Dusty Roads

Or maybe I should say the mystery of one cat, Buddy.

I’ve lived with a long line of cats from childhood to my current advanced age. I really don’t recall being catless for any length of time.

My friends think of me as something of a cat whisperer, I may not be in the same league as Jackson Galaxy, but I come close. I watch his show all the time. I love trying to figure out how he is going to solve the behavior problems.

Little Joe, my rescued Persian cat gave me my biggest challenge. He had the number one reason cats get surrendered, litter box issues. One day I’ll have to write about the trials and travails of that cat adventure. But when I tell you I tried all of Jackson’s solutions and even some he hasn’t suggested it would be an understatement. It finally ended well but it took years of trial and error.

But Buddy is something else. Sometime I think he is schizophrenic. Sometimes I think he has a physical problem. You can be petting him, he’ll be purring and relaxed and then suddenly he’ll let out a yowl like he is in pain and go into vicious kitty mode.

He doesn’t like to jump. Rocky will jump anywhere,

the higher the better but Buddy will search and test until he finds a way to climb to where he wants to go. Minimal jumping required.

When he sharpens his claws he lies down to do it. Yup, I have never seen such a thing. Same with playing. He might do a little running around but mostly he flops down on the floor and only plays with what he can reach from his central position.

The vet said he’s just fat so he may be developing some arthritis.

I am feeding him about 1/2 the recommended amount of cat food and feeding Rocky on the counter so Buddy can’t steal food but it doesn’t seem to be working. ( I fully sympathize)

He can go from mellow sweet kitty to crazy, fixated kitty in 0 – 60 in a blink. I have many scratches and bites to prove it but I have noticed that his pupils get wide and he seems to become fixated when that happens. I’m not sure he’s even still in there!

I used to get out of Dodge until he calmed down but I recently took a fuzzy glove (made for cats to kick and bite) and to my surprise instead of attacking he calms down immediately! He lets me sit and pet him with that silly glove and all the wildness goes right out of him.

I don’t know his history and other than his weight problem I feel we are making progress. He bites less often than when I first got him . And he’s started giving affection more often. I love it when he comes for a cuddle at night when I go to bed or climbs up on my computer when I’m working and gives me kitty kisses.

There is clearly a sweet kitty trapped in that warped little kitty brain and somehow, someway I am going to find the key.

Dazed and Confused

Posted on April 3, 2014April 3, 2014 by Dusty Roads

As I mentioned recently Smokey is in his senior years. He is 17 as close as we can figure.

We’ve had a few health scares in recent years as he tries to age gracefully but his newest issue is upsetting the whole household.

We think, that’s the vet and me, that he may be getting a little senile. It started a couple of months ago. At first it was only occasionally at night, always after I’d gone to bed (of course). I’d be awakened by this horrible caterwauling. I’d get up only to find Smokey in the bathroom, sometimes in the tub, crying at the top of his lungs. I don’t know if he liked the way the tile amplified the sound or what but he wouldn’t “snap out of it” until I touched him. Then he’d seem to refocus on me and start purring. Over the course of the past few months these episodes have become more frequent and no longer confined to the nighttime. On the good side, a word from me will now snap him out of it instead of having to physically touch him.

After a complete physical the vet confirmed that there was no medical reason for this behavior so we concluded it was Feline Alzheimer, not uncommon in senior cats.

Since this behavior has sprouted Smokey actually seems happier. He wanders around the house purring at the top of his little lungs. He doesn’t seem to mind Buddy any more. (That had been a bit uneasy) and he seems to have more confidence.

Maybe that increased confidence is what started Smokey competing with Rocky for the spot under the heat lamp. Maybe he gets cold easier since he’s lost weight and is the “old man”. I don’t know, so although Rocky doesn’t like it , we’re dealing with it. Rocky frets and paces but doesn’t force Smokey down. If Smokey stays there too long Rocky just gives up and takes the other cat tree or occasionally takes Smokey’s old perch. The point is, they seem to have worked it out.

But now, just this past week, Smokey has decided to take on Buddy.

Why this is strange is because cats are by nature territorial, even if the territory extends no further than the end of the couch. Each of the cats has a “spot” they call their own. Rocky’s was under the heat lamp, Smokey’s was one level up and the top spot or “crows nest” was empty. When we got Buddy he simply went to the empty spot and made it his own. For the past year that’s been the hierarchy and there’s been no conflict.

A couple of nights ago I went to my “spot” at the end of the couch and Buddy was there! That was a surprise.

Usually none of the cats sleep in my seat. It’s like they respect it as mine. Then it occurred to me that a few days before I’d almost sat on Smokey because he’d curled up there and his gray fur blended with the gray couch. So I started looking for Smokey and there he was … in Buddy’s spot in the crow’s nest!

I patted Buddy and told him not to worry, Smokey would give it back soon. Then I sat down on the bench where I had a small throw for the cats and got out the cat nip. Buddy moved over immediately. About 15 minutes later Smokey moved down to his normal perch and all was back in order.

This morning I heard hissing and the blinds rattling and Smokey was back up in the crow’s nest. Buddy had climbed the cat tree to try to get in and Smokey was under siege. Even weighing 7 lbs less than Buddy and with no claws, Smokey won the day. Buddy moved down to the middle perch where Smokey usually relaxes.

Not too long after his victory Smokey gave up top spot and wandered over to the food bowl. Buddy didn’t miss his chance to reclaim his “spot” of choice. Smokey seemed to have forgotten all about it.

I can see life will be interesting as Smokey’s condition advances and disrupts the balances among the 3 cats.