The CAT room!

Ah, Vivien, you seem to train these critters in more civilized ways .....

Cattitude

I have lived with one cat or another for over 20 years. Calling cats pets or suggesting
ownership implies a failure to appreciate their nature and attitude.

I was discussing my current "roomie" at dinner with friends recently. The conversation
inspired one friend to send me a card: It has a photo of two cats, one wearing reindeer
antlers and the other wearing a Santa hat. The first cat is saying, "Pull your own stupid
sleigh, Fat Boy!" The other cat just yawns. The caption reads, "Why Santa doesn't use
cats."

I believe this card perfectly captures cat attitude--cattitude. What have your cats done
that similarly captures the essense of these magnetic, frustrating, endearing beasties?


Riman (Roberta) created this Discussion on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 11:53 AM.




himself (u.94842) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 12:19 PM

they be unique; never change i say.

and, note the expression (in the eyes) of the feline as it enters
any room, any space: "every thing here is mine" reads the
message.

heed it !

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 12:22 PM

The card I mention above triggered a memory of something I read
many years ago. It is in a book called Cat Catalog.

"Seeing-Eye Cats," by Brian McConnachie

In 1968 the Department of the Army began experimenting with the
use of "night eyes" or seeing-eye cats. The Army had, for a long
time, been quietly impressed with the night vision of cats. The
mission of the project was to employ this special ability;
harnessed cats were to lead foot-soldiers through the thick
jungle during the dead of night.

Certain people in high command had such enthusiasm for the idea
that an order was given that night eyes be "field-tested," so the
operation was put into use in Viet Nam on an experimental basis.
After a month of night maneuvering with the seeing-eye cats, a
report was filed with the section on Unconventional Warfare
which, in part, stated:

"...A squad, upon being ordered to move out, was led off in
all different directions by the cats.
"...On many occasions the animals led the troops racing
through thick brush in pursuit of field mice and birds.
"...Troops had to force the cats to follow the direction of
the patrol; the practice often led to the animals stalking and
attacking the dangling pack straps of the American soldier
marching directly in front of the animal.
"...If the weather was inclement or even threatening
inclemency, the cats were never anywhere to be found.
"...Often when the troops were forced to take cover, the
animals took the opportunity to sharpen their claws on the boots
of the troops, regardless of the seriousness of the situation....
"

The project was suspended.


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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 12:25 PM

himself--I agree that cats convey the impression that everything
is theirs. But I'm the one paying the rent and providing the
food. Isn't any part of his territory mine?

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himself (u.94842) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 12:37 PM

at their sufferance roberta.

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c.d.( u.89737) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 12:50 PM

Roberta, I am a fellow cat owner, have been for nearly two
decades.

With our first cat, because he was such a tyke, I looked into the
question of insurance (to cover me if hurt anyone, or their
property) only to be told by my insurance company and lawyer,
that in the UK cats cannot be 'owned'.

Their legal definition, is that of 'free spirit - wild animal',
and as such, an 'owner' could never be liable for anything a cat
did.

Now, in answer to your question, one cat, Blackie, liked pens,
and would take them and hide them.

One day, just before the elections, a politician called,
canvassing for his party. He put his pen on the floor. I saw the
cat stalking it, and just before he grabbed it and ran, I rescued
it, and apologizing to the guy, gave it back to him.

Blackie was not best pleased, and sulked.

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timtom(u.319632) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 12:54 PM

Have any of you ever read "The Cat Who..." books by Lillian
Jackson Braun. They are delightful stories of the antics of two
Siamese cats, Koko and Yumyum.

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 1:49 PM

c.d.--Blackie and Mikey must be distant relatives. Ever since
I've had Mikey, I haven't been able to keep a pen for more than a
few days unless I carefully store them somewhere. Will I ever
find this cache of pens? I doubt it.

timtom--I have read all the Lilian Jackson Braun books, at least
all the ones I know of. What enjoy most about those books is not
so much the mysteries as the characters and the cats.

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 1:53 PM

timtom--BTW, I used to have a cat at least as smart as Koko, but
Miranda was interested in nothing that did not get her what she
wanted. Unlike Koko who helps unearth clues, Miranda wouldn't
have bothered with a dead body lying on the floor unless it
happened to be lying on top of one of her toys.

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Ridinghood (u. 62735) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 2:46 PM

I saw a cartoon recently that purported to show a dog and a cat
thinking. The dog is thinking, "These people are my family; I
trust them, they feed me, I protect them."

The cat is thinking, "These people are my staff."

Actually, I find cats to be a little friendlier than that. But
on their own terms, of course.

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dlowan( just a wee number again - 266846) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 3:17 PM

Well, my cats seem to be more people focussed than that - they
are actually quite obedient! They are always wanting to be with
me - snuggle up close all the time - uuummmpppffff - get off me!

But I did discover once, when friends looked after them, that
they considered all OTHER humans subservient to them - fighting
back if disciplined, with outrage on their faces.

Guess I am lucky to be top cat round here, huh?

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 5:21 PM

Ridinghood--On their terms. That's the crux of the issue. All
my cats at one time or another have been loving, sweet, and fun
to have around. Each has occasionally been obedient. But ALWAYS
on their terms.

dlowan--I thought that alpha males and females were a canine
trait. However, you are definitely the feline equivalent of and
alpha female. Obedient!! I'm green with envy.

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semiotterly Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 6:30 PM

Hi riman et.al., Another cartoon that captures cat mystique:
Picture shows a restaurant with a cat sitting in the middle of a
table. The waiter says to the diners,"We ran out of flowers."

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 6:37 PM

semiotterly--Thanks for stopping by. It is not hard to see why
cats might be viewed as decorative centerpieces. They look good,
and they love being the center of attention. Unfortunately,
Mikey could never replace a vase of flowers. He's too big.
Despite this drawback, he has, on more than one occasion, plunked
himself in the middle of my dinner table.

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shoesharper (u.1525285) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 8:00 PM

There is no such thing as "owning" a cat. It is quite the other
way around. Unless you understand that, you will never establish
a good relationship with your feline.

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himself (u.94842) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 10:55 PM

and on the other hand:

http://nytimes.abuzz.com/interaction/s.150672/discussion_in_list/
ci/1/e/0.27/

poor kitty !

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Karate·ka (u. 335541) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 11:35 PM

Roberta, I have been a cat lover for all of my life. I have two
Siamese, now, and they are in charge of the house. A certain
meow means I want to go outside; another sound means I am hungry,
and an angry meow means You haven't cleaned the litter box.

One of my cats, if she wants to come back inside, will jump up to
the door knob and pull it from side to side until it opens!

My favorite story, though, is one I heard about a young man, a
student, who lived with roommmates and owned a Siamese cat. One
night he and his roommates were discussing his class schedule
which was erratic and meant that he came home at a different time
every day.

Two of his roommates looked at each other and laughed, commenting
that they always knew when he was coming home: his cat would go
to the front door, half an hour before his arrival, no matter
what the time of day, and be there when he opened the door. The
cat was never wrong, the roommates said. He KNEW his owner was
on the way home.

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dlowan( just a wee number again - 266846) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 11:42 PM

Good heavens Kara - I believe that is my story!

The cat - if it is my story - was my first Miranda - such an
intense cat!

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Karate·ka (u. 335541) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 11:49 PM

It could have been your story, Deb. I read it on a thread, many
months' ago, but it was about a man living with roommates.

My cats always know when I am going on a trip. Even before I get
the suitcase out to pack. They begin hovering around me and
whining.

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dlowan( just a wee number again - 266846) Quick stats
Added on Sat, Dec 22, 2001 11:50 PM

Mine love it and try to get in the suitcases!

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 4:17 AM

shoesharper--I long ago conceded ownership. What I'd like,
though, is a 50/50 partnership. Somehow the cats always end up
with more than half.

karateka--Miranda had the same ability to open doors. Some of
the more intelligent cats have figured out that the doorknob
relates to opening.

dlowan--So your first Miranda was psychic. Sounds like Koko in
the Braun mysteries.

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 4:22 AM

himself--Thanks for the link. That thread was before I joined
Abuzz.

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Melanie Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 5:10 AM

For one, I am owned by Maxx. Maxx commands when I feed him, when
I change his water, when I pets him, when I can kiss his nose. He
IS the anti-owner.

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Ann Overboard Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 6:07 AM

Roberta & TimTom
I've read all the _Cat Who..._ novels, and imagine it must be
heavenly for Qwill living in that barn-loft. Wouldn't mind if
the cats had bigger roles, though.
There are other mystery series where companion cats are featured,
though I can't remember the names right now.
As for real cats, my 2 could hardly be more different. Daisy is
a scatter-brained, self-sufficient terror, though she does like
to sleep by our feet under the covers. Her half-sister, Minnie,
is extremely affectionate... loves to be held, kneeds my neck,
moews compelliningly or waits patiently by her favorite toy in
hopes someone will come to play...

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bb338 Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 6:39 AM

We have three cats, and they are all different. Each with its
own personality. They provide us with many hours of
entertainment and love. We have a sign in our house "Our cats
let us live here." One is an outdoor cat and scours the
neighborhood for mice and moles. The other two stay indoors. I
think they live longer if they stay indoors. Also, I just caught
one climbing (halfway) up the Christmas tree. I understand that
petting a purring cat will reduce your blood pressure.

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shoesharper (u.1525285) Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 6:47 AM

I'm curious -- How did Maxx acquire that extra "x"?

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Melanie Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 7:04 AM

He's x-tra cute, x-tra fluffy, and x-tra different. I wanted him
to not have the 'normal' one x.

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semiotterly Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 7:07 AM

As long as he's not xxx rated.

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timtom(u.319632) Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 8:42 AM

Another fun, cat mystery series is written by Rita Mae Brown and
Sneaky Pie Brown (Sneaky Pie is the cat, otherwise know in the
books as Mrs. Murphy.

The cat (Mrs. Murphy) has plenty to say, often philosophical)
throughout the book about humans and animals; and the mystery
plots are quite good.

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Ridinghood (u. 62735) Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 2:27 PM

Karateka's story about the cat knowing what time its owner would
return has been echoed in our house over the last 30 years, and
many many cats. They DO know, and they'll be there, patiently
waiting, every time. Well, not patiently--but at least waiting.
The oddest twist on this was one of our male cats. He spent a
lot of time outdoors, and would always wait for my husband's car,
and then run up the driveway ahead of him, just like a dog. Even
more oddly, he seemed to know when our housekeeper would arrive,
and would meet her faithfully at the bus stop. (Most cats seem
to like to watch people clean house, I've noticed. We call it "
supervising.")

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Ridinghood (u. 62735) Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 23, 2001 2:30 PM

Out of gratitude to the cat lovers on this thread, here's a link
to an old thread of mine, "The Cat Came Back." Even though I
started it, I do believe it's an Abuzz Classic. Especially if
you love cats. It's also on my profile page. Here's the link:
http://nytimes.abuzz.com/interaction/s.91560/discussion

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Mon, Dec 24, 2001 1:24 PM

mycat--Maxx sounds like the epitome of felineness.

Hi, Ann Overboard. Haven't seen you since the Spell Check
thread. How you been? Just once I would like to have a cat like
Minnie. She sounds like heaven.

bb--I've often wondered how people managed to keep their cats
away from Christmas trees. Now I have the answer. They don't.
Petting a cat (purring is not necessary) or a dog can lower blood
pressure. It can also help with other stress-related problems.
And living with a pet can help us to live longer.

timtom--Thanks for the info on Rita Mae Brown. I'm going to head
over to Amazon and get one of her books.

Ridinghood--Cats do seem to take a special interest in
housecleaning--except for when vacuum cleaners are involved. I
wish they would stop supervising and start helping. I will not
hold my breath.

Thanks for the link to your wonderful thread. Cats are amazing.

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a.d.rian Quick stats
Added on Mon, Dec 24, 2001 2:15 PM

The
cat-waiting-by-the-door-30-minutes-before-its-main-squeeze-return
s story brought to mind this observation about one of my parrots:

Zak would call out "Bye Bye! I love you," whenever I'd leave the
house. Of course, he was parroting what I said to him when I
left.

But after a while he began saying bye-bye when I would come out
of the shower because he figured out that I only showered when I
was going to leave the house! I did lots of things before I left
the house, but showering was the only thing I did ONLY when I was
going to leave.

I know this was supposed to be about cats, but overall, it's
amazing the level of understanding you can share with non-human
animals when you respect them.

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Mon, Dec 24, 2001 7:01 PM

a.d.rian--Yes, this thread is supposed to be about cats, but any
and all noncat comments are welcome. I love birds. A parakeet
was my first and most beloved pet. I am often surprised at what
nonhumans pick up on. My cat Mikey is not too bright, but he is
bright enough to have figured out that when the AOL voice says "
Good-bye," I'll be turning off the computer. Mikey always shows
up when that guy says good-bye.

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Bambu Quick stats
Added on Sun, Dec 30, 2001 10:38 PM

I have a cartoon on my refrigerator that shows a woman feeding,
petting, etc. a dog-the dog is thinking "She feeds me everyday
and takes care of all my needs. She must be a God!"
The next panel shows a woman feeding, petting a cat-Cat is
thinking "She feeds me everyday and takes care of all my needs, I
must be a God!"

I have had dogs and have had approximately 30-40 different cats
over the years. I have 5 cats right now and the cartoon is pretty
accurate from my experience.
Another saying is if you call a dog he answers, if you call a cat
he says leave a message and I'll get back to you when I have
time.

But, that is why I love them so!

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Tue, Jan 1, 2002 6:55 PM

Bambu--Your cartoon says it all.

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dlowan( just a wee number again - 266846) Quick stats
Added on Wed, Jan 2, 2002 12:07 AM

Oh dear.

I am beginning to think I have little dogs in elegant cat clothes
which purr - the little dogs, I mean, not the clothes - because
my cats COME WHEN I CALL. Only usually they are there anyway -
but if they are not they come when I call - actually, they GALLOP
to me when I call - they race each other to get there first.

Maybe it's just a Siamese thing? Maybe they are real cats after
all?

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Ridinghood (u. 62735) Quick stats
Added on Wed, Jan 2, 2002 3:38 AM

Roberta, our current cat is passionately in love with the vacuum
cleaner. He only moves far enough away from it to make sure it
doesn't literally grab his fur. And it's a full-time job to keep
him from using the bag for a scratching post.

dlowan, we had several generations of cats who came when we
called them. Several years into our life as cat people, we had a
male cat who somehow developed the habit. We'd go out and
whistle, and here he'd come. Well, in no time the other two cats
were doing the same thing. One cat who came and adopted us had
learned to come at the whistle after a day or two. But then we
sold our house with the wonderful yard, and now the cats are,
perforce, house cats. The older cats who knew the whistle didn't
get a chance to teach the younger cats. And now the older cats
are all dead, and our current cat would be amazed that such a
phenomenon ever existed.

But now you know where the phrase "copy cat" came from. They
learn from each other.

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Riman (Roberta) Quick stats
Added on Wed, Jan 2, 2002 7:18 PM

dlowan--Have no fear. Your cats are cats. Even Mikey comes when
I call him, unless his cat carrier is on the floor. Then he
figures he's going to the vet, and he's right. He tries to hide
his huge self somewhere he can't fit.

Ridinghood--A cat who likes a vacuum cleaner. I confess that's
new one on me.

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shoesharper (u.1525285) Quick stats
Added on Wed, Jan 2, 2002 7:45 PM

Ridinghood and Riman -- I have told this on another thread so I
won't go into detail, but we had a cat who, when she was younger,
loved to hop onto the vacuum cleaner and ride around having a
great time. All our other cats have always headed for the door
when the vacuum came out of the closet.

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