Nail Trimming Day

Ever tried to trim your cats nails? The fact that they need to be trimmed means there long & sharp, and ready to be used!!
When I only cat two or three cats, I used to trim their nails every month. After the addition of the fourth or fifth cat I changed it to as needed basis, which means once or twice a year.
I wait until I hear the cats claws catching the carpet, then wait until I can't stand it any longer, or worried they are going to get their nails caught on a scratching post when I'm not home, and the are dangling from the post until I come home several hours later. In reality I know this wont happen, their nails are too sharp and would cut the carpet and they would land safely to the ground, but I am a worrying Momma Catz.
So on the day I decide to cut their nails I get out the bag of treats, and shake it so cats all come running, or at least the ones I want to cut their nails, then I hand out a few treats getting them nice and happy!!
Next I grab and unsuspecting cat and trim those nails, and let me tell you these cats are not that smart at this point, because they all hang around watching the one cat get their nails cut, so when I am done with that one I can easily grab the next victim (lol).
After I have done trimming the nails bring out a bag of catnip and rub it into the scratching post so the can sharpen their now trimmed nails.
Since adding 6th to 9th cat, I have decided that if they don't catch on the carpet, then they don't need to be trimmed, so the newer additions don't need their nails trimmed much at all. I also have a great vet, that will trim their nails ,no charge, when I bring the cats in for their yearly shots. The cats act a whole lot more submissive at the vets than at home!!!

The soft gentle sound of a cats Purrr

The saying goes a bad day on the golf course still beats a good day at the office, well for me it's a bad day at home with the cats beats any day at work. Although my work is not very difficult, it can be very stressful. Depending on who I am working with or who walks through the door with a bad attitude, my day can be one idiot after another, not always, but some days.
When it is one of those days, I can't wait to come home to my cats!! Once I walk through the door, I am met with a number of my cats greeting me, happy that I am finally home. Sure they want to be fed, but once their bellies are full, they come to me for some love and attention. Sophie will jump on the desk while I am at the computer, and walk in front of the monitor until I reach over and pick her up for a cuddle and a purr. That purr makes the worst day bearable. There is nothing and I mean nothing that is more relaxing than the sound of a cat purring.
When I go to bed at night, at least one of my cats jumps up on the bed with me.
If it's Willow (I call her Willow my pillow) I rest my head beside her and drift off to sleep listening to her gentle loving purr.
I adopted Trixie, because of her purr. I remember going to the shelter, and the woman kept putting cats in my arms, they would jump out of my arms just as soon as she let go. Then I realized there was a cat in my arms and it was purring too!! Well that was it, that was the cat for me, I could stop looking.
She till does too, all I have to do is pet her or groom her and she starts to purr.
I tell you there is nothing in this world that sounds better, or is more relaxing than the sound of a cat purring.

Update Maggie

Well Maggie has had a few days to recover from her trip to the vet, and all seems well. By the next day Maggie's eye was looking better, and by the day after that she was back to bulling the other cats.
As Elton John once sang...." The Bitch is Back" !!!

Maggie's trip to the Vet

The other day I noticed Maggie's eye was swollen, this little girl has big eyes to begin with, so when one is swollen it looks really big. I checked her gums and they were beet red. Poor thing was suffering and it took until her eye complained before I knew there was a problem. :(

She had this problem last year, and the vet told me it was probably seasonal allergies, which is strange because she is an indoor only cat, but as the vet suggested, it's probably in the air.

So off to the Vet we go.....

Maggie is quite comfortable going into a cat carrier, she has done it since she was a kitten. It's so nice being able to put a cat into a carrier that is willing to get into one, no stress for the cat and no stress for me:)

In the Vets office(sorry on pictures in the office) the Vet agreed with me that it was the same problem as last year and, since the steroid shot work for her last year, that we should do the same again. Maggie was a very very good little girl while at the vets and took the shot in the but very well.......

but couldn't wait to get home!!!!

To torment the other cats in her tribe:)

This treatment should last about 3 to 4 weeks, and I will take her back for another treatment until about fall, when she seems to not be affected by the allergens

Bad things happen to purebreeds too!!

I have, until recently thought that purebred cats were not as susceptible to being abandoned as the average cat is. As a volunteer for the Vernon Animal Care Society, I take pictures of the cats and kittens that are entrusted to our care and post these pictures on our web site. Last week I went to Crescent Falls Vets, to take some pictures of the new arrivals. One torti, one Tabbie, and a calico, as well as one Himalayan, and one Persian. The Himalayan, a female, had been a stray as well as the Persian, a male. The Himalayan was in good health and spayed upon arrival, the Persian however was completely covered in mats, and burrs and had to be shaved, it was also so under weight and malnourished that it was believed he would not be able to handle the neutering.

The money people spend on these pure breeds mean as little to them as the animals themselves, that they can allow this to happen to what was once a family pet......

This cat, Gus, because he is a purebred,is one of the lucky ones, he will have a better chance of being adopted than most cats. Lets hope his next home is his forever home!!!

A warm welcom home

Every morning while I get ready for work, Sophie sits on top of one of the scratching boxes I have on the main floor. It is placed at the bottom of the stairs so that I can put things that I want to eventually take up stairs on top (of course the cats usually knocks them off!!) of it. It is also right across for the front door. She waits there while I run around getting ready, and even while I feed the cats, she just sits there. Down the hall, but still in view of the door, is Bijou sitting on top of the couch. Gus, Odette, and Maggie, just follow me around(Willow is still eating breakfast).This is the normal routine, and it seems like Sophie, Bijou and the other three are waiting to say "goodbye and have a nice day mom" as I leave for work.When I come home there is always a couple of little wet noses peeking through the crack of the door as I open the door, normally it's Gus, and Willow (waiting to be fed no doubt), and Trixie and a few others not far from the door are waiting too. But there on the same scratching box is Sophie, its almost like she had never moved. She is there waiting to welcome me home. I often hear people say they love the way their dog greets them at the door, with their tails wagging, when they come home from work. Well this is how I feel about my cats. I have never come home without one or two cats to greet me at the door. It makes for a warm welcome home, and I couldn't imagine coming home with out one of them waiting for me. It will be a said day indeed......I hope it never comes.

Personalities

As far as I'm concerned all cats have their own personalities, and in some cases their names reflect their personalities. Say Trixie for instance, her name rhymes with pixie, and in some ways she acts like a little pixie or impish. She is quiet, but yet still play full at the ripe old age of 4 years. Trixie will dart past me as I walk down the hall with her tail straight up in the air, happy as can be, and she will lie down next to me on the couch or in bed and purr that deep rich purr.

Sophie I call my sweet sophisticated Sophina! She can look quite dignified, in her cat pose with her tail purfectly placed over her front paws looking down on whatever is going on below her. Maggie, is raggady Maggady. When she was a kitten, nothing seem to bother her, and nothing got in her way. Maggie did, what Maggie wanted to do, despite what Sophie or I would have to say about it. Now however, Maggie is the Bitch. It's really not her fault. She has gotten grumpier with every new addition to the cat family, she seems to get overwhelmed when their is a lot around her, and she will strike out with a right paw, and a growl that send anyone in the vicinity running for cover. Sometimes all she has to do is growl and they get the idea. Maggie still has her playful side, just this morning she was playing on top of the perch behind my chair, she almost fell of a couple of times, so some times she still is raggady Maggady hehehe!!

Willow is a gentle, loving cat. I call "she who must be adored!!" Willow is always a happy cat, but has recently decided that there is getting to be a little to much competition for her in this house with 8 other cats to contend with. But as long as you give her some attention she is happy, if you groom her she is happier, but if you cuddle her and coo over her and groom her she is the most happiest cat ever!!!

Creature's of habit

My cat's, and cat's in general, are a creature of habits. But my 9 little furry angles are also creatures of MY habits.
In the mornings when I get up out of bed, in the middle of the night, when I get out of bed, and yes during the day, if I head up stairs, my little angels will run ahead of me and run and wait by the bathroom door. These cheeky little angles make me well aware of my bathroom habits, I never realized how often I used the loo, until about the third cat, Willow. She waits patiently their in front of the door, because she knows 9 times out of 10 that's where I will be going. The others are also milling around the door, but Willow is right there.
Maggie on the other hand knows that after I leave the bathroom that I will be heading to the office, to check my emails, so she waits in the room, meows at me to hurry up, then jumps on the scratching post, and waits for a little good morning pet.
Maggie also knows that when the phone rings (when I'm home) I will pick it up and start talking, so this little miracle of nature also runs to the ringing phone, expecting to be petted, which she willing receives.
I think it goes back to when she was a very precocious kitten, she would always find something to get into when I was on the phone. It got to the point where I would pick her up, before I picked up the phone. So this is why she associates the phone ringing to her getting attention!!!....Smart kitty!!!!

Cats in hiding

Look up...way up....that right its a cat. Most cats like to be up high, and they also like hide. Maybe that's why some cats get stuck up the trees. They are running away from a dog or something that scared them, and since height gives them a sense of being Superior (if you look up Superior in the dictionary, the description could almost mean cats).

Well here are a few hiding places, or just high places my cats like to frequent.

This is Mara's favorite spot, as you can see, it's not that high up, but she loves it. It's just outside my bedroom door, and it's also at the top of the stairs, which adds some hight, I guess.

And here is Sophie, way up on a shelf in the storage room, checking out my skills at cleaning out the litter boxes.

I just couldn't write a blog about cats and heights with out Gusbuster. This boy cat jump 6feet straight up if given the chance, and as you can see he was given the chance one day while in my bathroom. He jumped up onto the shower door rail, he walked back and forth meowing the whole time. I am not sure if he was complaining or just bragging. I managed to get back to the bathroom in time for him to ready himself for jumping off. Not sure what I am going to do with this boy. I guess I will just have to love him for what he is.....a boy!!!!

Marabell & Odette

I was staring at the screen wondering what to write about tonight. An almost as if on cue, Marabell and Odette started playing. First Mara approached Odette, and started to groom Odette, then suddenly my neighbour slammed their car door shut, which made the two girls jump and run for cover. You would think that these two would be used to these noises after a year and half, but I guess some cats just spook easier than others. My neighbours cat, Bailey, I am sure is used to all the noise of vehicles, because she lives outside most of the time in my carport.
Back to Mara and Odette, once they gained their composer, they decided to have a little boxing match. These two have always played well together. I guess that is because they grew up together. Most of my cats were added as singles and as adults. Separated from their siblings long ago, so I never really experienced two kittens growing up together.

Mara and Odette are not siblings, but they are almost exactly the same age, give or take a day or two. And have lived with me since they were about 5 weeks old. I kept them in my bathroom, for the first week or two, so they would be safe, and would not have to fight the big cats for their food, which was kitten food , so the adults weren't supposed to eat it anyway. This was the beginning of the bonding for these two, they would play together, eat together, and sleep together. As adult cats they have different personalities, Odette, being more shy, and aloof. Marabell being outgoing and motherly, hence the grooming she always does. But when ever there is some roughhousing to be done these two will do it. It is fun to watch, and I recommend to people to try and get two kittens together if they can, so they will always have a buddy.
However this may mean that they will not bond to you as much as just one kitten would, but a cat will always bond with however is feeding it, that is one thing I know for sure.

Video's Video's and more Video's

Just to let you know I have moved the cat video's to another page. I am not sure how to link them just yet, so until then you cat go to http://www.mommacatzvideo.blogspot.com/
or
http://www.singingcatlady.blogspot.com

and check out the not so daily video's lol

I am sorry that I was unable to upload a video today. The cats were not co-operating. Don't get me wrong they were adorable, but not very active today. I will try again tomorrow (maybe I will try a little catnip!!! lol)

A day with cats!!!

I woke up this morning to Willow growling. Willow is one of the most gentle cats I have known, but with what seems to her as a never ending additions to the cat family, she is finally starting to say Enough cats already MOMMA!!
She was grumpy with the two last additions Marabell, and Odette. She would growl at them, just to let them know where they stand with her in the pecking order. But eventually she softened to them and excepted them as her equal, She will let Marabell groom her, and she will just purrrrr away. Willow loves nothing more than to be adored, and Marabell loooooovvees Willow. You could see it right from the start. It was if Marabell thought Willow was her MOM. But every time Mara would go near Willow, Willow would growl and give her a slug with the right paw! I didn't like to see this, I was upset that Willow was upset, and I was upset that Mara had been hurt(not really though). But I let them find their way with each other and now it's like a magic bond between the two of them.
So back to this morning, I woke up to Willow growling, and I new instantly that she was growling at the newest addition Becky. Becky is pretty happy go lucky kitty, so she barely bats an eye and Willow's outburst. I am really hoping that willow will come around soon. I don't expect her to love Becky like she loves Mara, but just to allow her a little space without the attitude would be nice. I am sure that in time they will get along just fine.

Cat Video of the Day.....as predicted!!!

Well as predicted in yesterday's post, my cats would not co-operate in a video today, so I had to go to my neighbours cat for a little help from her. Her name is Bailey, and she is 8 or 9 years old.

Bailey knows that if she wants a little cuddle she can always come to me. But mostly she just wants me to feed her. This is something I don't really encourage, but I make the exception with Bailey because.....well I am not really sure why. I know her owners feed her, and feeding cats outside in our complex is a no no., but I only feed her enough for her to eat at one time. No leftovers to encourage the raccoons to come a calling. I guess I feel that if my neighbours ever move, I can tell them that she can stay here because she lives in my carport anyway, and she knows I will feed her, so why move her to a strange place.

I know it is just a bunch of excuses but I have started calling her my unofficial 10th cat.

I suppose this behaviour, of feeding the neighbours cat could be considered catladyish, if their is such a word. But I don't believe so, as I don't encourage my other neighbour's cats to come and eat in my carport. If I have any proof that they were not feeding their own cat I might consider it, but only if I knew it for sure.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the video of Bailey, and hopefully I will be able to convince my own cats to co-operate tomorrow.

Cat Video of the Day....or week

I was thinking that posting pictures is nice, but video's are more fun. So I thought I would try and post a video of the day, or maybe a video of the week, depending on how co-operative the cats are..lol. Today I caught Becky, who is still very much a kitten at 4 months old, playing with one of the many toys in the house. You will see me throw her a pink catnip mouse that she will play with too. Please excuse my blue crocks, I didn't realize my feet were in the picture until it was too late.

I hope you enjoy this video, she is such a cute cat.

Oh almost forgot, Becky was born to a feral cat, and would have been feral herself, had she not been rescued and tamed. The earlier the better, as was in this case. You can see that she has made herself at home, and is very happy being and indoor kitty.

P.S. That is Gus at the end stepping in for his cameo/close-up.

Scratching Box for Cats....it's not what you think

• You might be wondering....scratching post or litter box, which one is she talking about? Well its not the litter box but it's also not a scratching post either, but that would be the closer of the two.

A couple of years ago I was trying to figure out what to do with my old speakers. I hadn't used them for at least a decade but I figured they would surely be good for something. Then I realized that the holes for the speakers were a fair size, and one was big enough for a cat to jump in and out of, and the others were good peek-a-boo holes. Then I thought well what if I put a post on one side of it and a piece of board on the top of the post.....wa la!!! a scratching post, or so I thought. A builder I am not, It works but now that the cats have grown, and are ruffly the size of a small dog, this thing falls over when they jump off. Not balanced or something, but still a good first try.

After thinking (fuming) about it for anther year, I realized that they didn't really need the post and perch, not in my house anyway. My cats have ample access to window. So I decided that just the box would be enough for them. They love to jump on top, or run inside and "hide" from mom, knowing they will get a pet and a hello from me as I walk by.

I have a number of them, because I have a number of cats. One is placed by the door, so I can put groceries on it when I come home, but their is usually a cat on top. I have one down the hall, so I can "chase" the cats down the hall and they can hide from me. I have one up stairs just outside my bedroom that can be used by one of them that wants to be close to me but can't find room on the bed with the other cats,(some nights there isn't room for me!!)

This is Becky in the scratching box. This was her safe place when I first brought her home.

Bonding with cats part 2

This is such a complex subject. It depends as much on the person as it does the cat. And cats do have their own personalities. Take Bijou for example, she is almost 5 years old, I have had her for about 4 years, you would think that she would be a lovable lap cat by now. That she would be very used to my comings and goings and just non plussed about me walking past her to open the curtains or pick up the dishes from the table. But you would be wrong. Bijou, in the first 6 months of her life must have been abused, or tormented, because she is still just as afraid of me walking past her as the day she came to live in my house. Yet we have bonded, on her term and her terms only. It was only about 1 1/2 to 2 years ago that she started to give me any kind of attention. One night while watching TV she jumped on the back of the couch. I tried to pet her, and she jumped away. Then the next night she did it again, this time I didn't try to pet her. After that she would jump just a little closer to me. Within a week she was giving me head butts, with just the slightest hint of a purr. Now she when she jumps up I am able to pet her, I can even reach down to pet her when she is in her basket. but only one hand is aloud on her at any time, two hands means immediate removal, and she runs and hides.
One thing that Bijou loves, as much as her privacy is food. This is one of the main ways to get a cat to bond with you. Any cat that receives a regular mealtime, will most certainly bond with you in some way. You may not be able to pick the cat up (like Bijou) but each day around the same time as you feed the cat, it will be there. It will hop around excited to be feed, or rub itself on your legs, almost tripping you. But soon you will find this cat doing the same thing even when your not going to feed you. This cat has bonded to you.
A job well done!!!!

Bonding with cats

I have had little trouble bonding with any cat let alone one of my own. Some take a little longer than others. Sophie was instantly wanting love the moment I walked into the cat room at the local shelter. Purring and meowing, wanting love in return. It was the first time in about 15 years that I was able to have a cat, and the cat I had as a child ( which I loved dearly) was not a cuddly cat. So to see this little angel being so affectionate I couldn't help myself I had to take her home. It is now 61/2 years later and she is just as affectionate as she was that day. She will usually worm her way into the cradle of my left arm while I'm at the computer, but so far she has left me alone.

I find that cats as aloof as they may seem to be are really very social, and people oriented. Especially if they have lived in less than desirable conditions at some point. What I mean to say is that rescued cats seem to know when they have good, and will show their appreciation for it.

Gus was another one that bonded with me instantly. His life had been threatened and he was just wanting to be loved and to be safe. A lady in the neighbourhood took him from some kid that had planned on throwing him in a nearby creek. This lady asked my neighbour to find a home for him, since I work with an animal rescue group I took him in. The whole time I gave him a bath he purred, and tried to climb into my arms...... he just wanted to be loved and to be safe. As you can see from his picture he has settled in comfortably.

Crazy cat names

I believe I'm not alone when I say that I give my cats their "normal" everyday names, but then also give them "pet" names as well. Like I just finished calling my new kitten Becky "The Beckinator" !!! I am not sure why, I am not even sure it fits her but that is just one of the many "pet" names I come up with.
Take my Blog name Momma Catz, I am the "momma" to my cats, and "Momma Catz" is spin off from the late Momma & Poppa's singing star "Momma Cass" (I'm not saying I'm a good singer, but my cats do seem to love it).
I call my one and only male(neutered) Gus. Yet his Pet name is Gusbuster, because he busts into a room just like Kramer did in Seinfeld.
Bijou I call Peek-a-boo because she is shy and hides alot, but yet likes attention. So I call out Peek-a-boo and she peeks her head out from under the couch or chair. It really is very cute that she knows both names.

Above is a video of Bijou, she is very shy, but seems to like the attention she is getting from me behind the camera.

I think the strangest pet name I have given one of my cats is for Odette, which is the name of the princess of Swan Lake. This is where she was found (that story will be told in another blog). Anyway there isn't much that rhymes with Odette, but it does have an ring, or maybe should say Yodel. So I will call her by singing Odel Odel Odeltte. When she hears that she comes running with her tail straight up in the air. It's very cute and I will have to get a video of that sometime.

That's almost half my cats the rest will have to come in another blog!!

Petlovers can be soooo kind

Everyone who knows me knows I love cats, this is a given. They are in my opinion angels in fur bodies. They bring me joy and happiness each and every day. So when I talk about them, I am sure I am close to beaming with love and pride.
The people who appreciate this fact are also cat & or animal lovers themselves.
So it shouldnt suprise me to find them to be just as kind and generous to me and my cats as they are to their own cats.
Today I taked breifly to a lady about my new kitten becky and she quickly offered me a pet bed, when she returned with it she also had cat nip, a blanket, at toy, and several tins of cat food....what a wonderful surprise!!!!! My cats will enjoy each and every one of those items and I will in turn enjoy watching them enjoy them too!!
Cat people should rule the world, then there would be no suffering!!

Momma Catz....in the begining

In the beginning I had only wanted to have one dog and one cat. I wanted to get them both at the same time, and very young so they would learn to get along. I adopted one cat, but couldn't find a dog, so then I adopted a second cat. Well lets just say I gave up the idea of having a cat and dog about six years and yes six cats ago. Yes I have nine cats, I just adopted a calico feral kitten, that is as sweet as pie. I will at eventually tell you about all nine, and even a few more that have found a special place in my heart over the years.