The CAT room!

Olga! Is Flatty OK? Did I miss something?

Oy.

Worried in the Big Apple

I stumbled across a poem I wrote about Mikey a while back. It's not very good. It doesn't scan. But maybe it will cheer things up.

Some people say Mikey’s a freak
‘Cause he’s got so many toes.
True, 24 toes are a lot.
It’s the word “freak” I oppose

In this day of political correctness,
You’d think some would know to be kind
For short folks are vertically challenged
And those visually impaired were once blind

So keep your nasty remarks to yourself
In kindness I’m a firm believer
Mr. Mikey ain’t no freak
He’s a digital overachiever

Heehee - I recall that one.

Deb, You recall it?! I don't remember writing it. I was looking for something in my old computer and found it. Go figure.

Was it on a Digression thread on Abuzz - or a Mikey thread????

Dear Worried in the Big Apple ,

Yes, Flatty's OK*. Piffka was talking of how you sort of "see" & feel the presence of a critter, when they are no longer here anymore. I've often had that experience myself. But patting the handbag was just an instinctive reaction to any black shape I see as I move about the house & yard: That's got to be Flatty so I must pat him. I've been conditioned! Sorry to give you a fright, my dear.

The above * is to say that though he's OK, he's having a recurrence of the "snuffles"/sneezing episodes again. I think we may be back at the vet tomorrow.

That's right, Roberta! He's gifted! Special!
(How DARE anyone suggest Mr Mikey is a freak, for heaven's sake! I hope you told them what's what! )

Olga,

Relieved in the Big Apple.

:-)

Likely he's evolved to a higher plane of toedness.

Thanks for asking, Roberta. I too, wondered what I had missed, looked back three pages, and still didn't want to ask.

Relieved in New Mexico.

Dear Relieved in New Mexico,

Thank you so much for your concern. Very nice of you.

Roger, I got to the page where Flatty caught the wee mouse. I figured everything was ok, but I needed to be sure.

Now that the cool weather has arrived, the monster cat is awake and active I'm running out of ways to keep him busy. He loves his toy helicopters, but I have to retrieve them, which gets to be annoying. He likes his feathers on a string, but not for long. He still likes batting at little aluminum balls. He's very good at this. They're all over my floor. He likes the plugs that come out of milk cartons. These are also all over my floor. He will half-heartedly show interest in his laser light. He still enjoys chasing rubber bands I snap at him. These too are all over my floor. I wish I could get him to retrieve. Hey Mikey, take a nap.

These are by no means all his toys or all the ways that I play with him. I'm open to suggestions. Sigh

Pipe cleaners. Turns the ends under so there are no sharp edges. Twirl the pipe cleaner around your finger into a loose spiral, then throw it. I haven't met a cat yet that could resist. Some like to hold them down with their front paws and straighten them with their teeth. Right now, my two cats have about half a dozen of these in or next to their food bowls.

I'm sure you already use this one - but half a sheet of typing paper, screwed up into a loose ball, keeps Rosie occupied for a while - she tosses it, carries, bops it around and massacres it - your floor sounds like mine!

Tonight's newspaper is spread across the living room as she's been diving under it and ambushing from it. She's now curled up in a cardboard grocery box, having been playing in it for a while she's now going to sleep.

Nah, he's not taking any nap, Roberta! Too much fun geeing you to play Fetch!

Eva, Congratulations. You've now met a cat who can resist. Well, virtually met. Mikey has no interest in pipe cleaners, curled up, straight, or any which way.

Vivien, A paper ball bores Mikey. In fact, most balls do. Other than the small aluminum foil balls, and he doens't knock them around to play with them. He likes to bat them back at me when I throw them to him. Once they hit the floor, he has no interest. I harvest the floor once or twice a week.

I'm not gonna give you a complete list of the toys Mikey has. Electronic, battery-operated, radio-operated, touch-sensitive, motion sensitive. He has his own video, called Catnip Video, which is banned (after the crashing into the tv set incident). He has toys on sticks and on strings, strings on sticks, fishing poles, casting rods, and on and on. And the poor little fella sits and cries. He has nothing to do.

Sigh.

Roberta, have you taken him for a walk lately?