Author Archives: Charles Huss

How to Keep Your Cat Out of Your Box Spring

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Many years ago my wife and I would sometimes cat sit for a neighbor who had nine cats but I rarely saw more than two. She had one cat that was friendly, one cat that was curious but shy and seven cats that hid under the bed. I tried looking for them a few times but never saw them until I realized they were up inside the box spring of her bed.

That was new to me then but I have since learned it is common with timid cats. None of our cats did that until we got Flash. Years later, Puck would make himself a home in our box spring. It is something that I accepted but never liked for a couple of reasons.

I think a timid cat should not be encouraged to hide. I also don’t think he should be forced into an uncomfortable situation but hiding places should probably be closer to areas where family activities are going on. Those hiding places should also be within reach of human hands. Also, If there was ever an emergency, like a fire, retrieving a cat from inside the box spring would be an impossible task. Even during non-emergencies, like a scheduled vet visit, it would be a huge pain to take the bed apart to get your cat.

During our last move, my wife thought of an ingenious way to keep Puck out of our box spring. I took a picture of it at the time and then forgot about it until now.

She placed an old fitted sheet over the bottom of the box spring. It covered the holes that Puck had created and, since the material is a bit stronger than the cheap felt that is on most box springs, making new holes is more challenging. Puck still hid under the bed after that but he never again got up inside of our box spring.

What do you think? Do you have cats that do this?

Cat at Petsmart Desperate for Attention

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I bought cat litter this morning at Petsmart and couldn’t help but check out the cats in their adoption center. I had no intention of adopting a cat today but I feel bad that they are stuck in small cages so I thought they might like a little attention. I could not have imagined how desperate one of the cats there was for that attention.

She is an 11-month-old female and she really needs a home. The one-year-old male next to her was also needing attention but he was not as obvious about it.

This cat is at the North Clearwater, Florida location. If anyone is in the area and is looking for a pet, I think she would be a great choice. If you know someone in the Tampa Bay area that might be interested, please share.

Kitten Update

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Here is another repost about little Miss Luis for Throwback Thursday. She did keep the name even though she was found to be a girl and is doing well with the human(s) who adopted her. She will be three years old soon.

Charles Huss's avatarBad Cat Chris

My wife’s mother and sister came to our house today to help celebrate The Fourth of July. If you read my post from last week, Newborn Kitten Rescue, You would know that Rose’s sister, Felice, played a major role in saving a kitten’s life. Because newborn kittens require so much attention, Felice decided to bring it with her.

Felice informed us that the kitten is a girl so we will not be calling her Luis like Rose wanted to if it was a boy. The name is not important anyway. What is important is that the kitten is in pretty good health and will probably be okay.kitten

Felice and Kitten Felice and Kitten

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Newborn Kitten Rescue

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I originally posted this almost three years ago and can tell you that Miss Luis, which I believe is what she is now called, is doing well at her forever home.

Charles Huss's avatarBad Cat Chris

My wife, Rose, runs one of the largest apartment complexes in the area. Recently there has been an increase in the feral cat population on her property.  I told her that she could get traps from the Humane Society and once caught, we could have them fixed (out of our pocket, of course) and returned to the property. Unfortunately, Rose has so much work and is chained to her desk eleven hours a day that she has no time for anything else.

Yesterday evening, while eating dinner, Rose got a call from Luis, her maintenance supervisor. He said a resident had informed him of an abandoned kitten. When he got there, he found blood on the sidewalk and a solitary kitten with no mother in sight. He decided to take the kitten home and call Rose to ask for advice.

I know it is very difficult to raise a newborn…

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What Would We Do Without Chris?

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One night, shortly after Puck died, Chris was lying on my chest and rubbing his face against mine. My wife saw this and said, “I don’t know what you will do when Chris is gone.” She then said that she thought Chris would be the next to go. I assume she said that because of all the weight Chris has gained recently but he still remains pretty healthy as far as I can see.

What got me thinking was the possibility that love could be quantified. Could a person love two individuals but love one of those individuals more than the other? Or is love an absolute like pregnancy? Can a parent love one child more than the other? As a parent of only one child, I can’t answer that but the truth is, I will miss Chris more than Puck.

I feel bad saying that and it makes me seem like a horrible person but I can’t deny it. In my defense, I will say that missing someone is possibly not directly related to loving them. What we miss in a person, or animal, are the good feelings that they gave us when they were around.

With Chris, I would miss the funny ways he would figure out how to open a cabinet or drawer before climbing inside. I would also miss the amazement of him getting on top of things that seem impossible for a cat to reach. These are things I miss already since his weight gain has slowed him down. I think what I would miss most is Chris’s affection. Chris is the most affectionate being I have ever met. This affection, I think, is Chris’s way of showing us that he loves us back very much and I think this has a way of reaching down and touching the soul.

His affection is what drew me to him in the first place. The first time I saw him he jumped on my shoulders and licked and bit my ear and nose while I was trying to clean the cages at Petsmart. The next time he was on my shoulders again at the shelter. I sent the following bad photo to my wife asking if we could keep him.

 

When Rose met him he showed her equal affection.

Bad Cat Chris at adoption center with Rose.

Chris at adoption center with Rose.

It wasn’t an act to get out of the shelter. Once he arrived at our home the affection didn’t stop.

Chris getting comfortable with Rose on his first day home.

Chris loves everyone and is not afraid to show it. He will go from lying on my lap to lying on my wife’s lap and then to lying up against one of our other cats. I have seen and heard about him jumping on the shoulders of complete strangers. I still laugh when I hear the story of a plumber under our sink who had to deal with a cat on top of him while he was trying to work.

Historically, none of our cats have been very affectionate with other cats. The exception to that would be Tigger. He sometimes would be seen cuddling with Abbey or her brother Alex.

Abbey and Tigger in Abbey's cat bed.

Abbey and Tigger in Abbey’s cat bed.

Tigger and Alex

After Chris came on the scene, he became an annoying third wheel.

Abbey, Chris and Tigger in Abbey's cat bed.

Abbeys bed could sometimes get over crowed.

Abbey annoyed with Chris.

Alex (on top) with Abbey, Tigger and Chris

While Tigger sometimes cuddled, it is almost mandatory with Chris. I do occasionally see Chris sleeping alone but he usually seeks out someone to lie with. He is like the glue that holds our family of cats together, going from one cat to the other as if trying to create a universal scent.

Of course, nobody is perfect and Chris will get into fights just like every other cat. Chris can also be jealous. Whenever Frankie is on my lap, Chris has to be on my lap. I’m not sure if Chris is jealous of me paying attention to Frankie or Frankie paying attention to me.

Yes, we do miss Puck very much and yes, we will probably miss Chris even more when the time comes but whether that has to do with the amount of love we have for each of them is unknown to me. What do you think? Are there any parents out there who can admit to loving one child more than another? Liking a child more is not the same. My wife will sometimes tell me she loves me but doesn’t like me very much right now.

Pay Attention to Me or Else…

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Chris has always loved attention. This post was from 2015 but he is the same now as then and as he was as a kitten. He doesn’t bother Rose as often in the morning anymore but he was on the sink with her the other day.

Charles Huss's avatarBad Cat Chris

Chris used to hang out in the bathroom with Rose while she got ready for work but he stopped doing that until recently. Now he is in the bathroom with her every morning taking up the little space she has. There is even less space in this house because there is a fan on the counter to compensate for the lack of an air conditioner vent in the bathroom.

Chris can stay with her as long as he stays on the other side of the sink, but that is too far for Chris so a conflict always arises. Rose either has to push him off the counter or she can ask for help in the form of, “Chuck, Come get you cat!”

This morning, Chris decided he was going to get attention one way or another so he got on the toilet and unwound the toilet paper roll. Maybe next…

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