Chris always rolls around on the driveway after I let him outside. This time he ended up under my wife’s car exhaust pipe.
Photo Friday: Exhaust-ed
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The Conquest of Fort Box
Here is a post from 2014 I think you might like for Throwback Thursday.
Recently I gave the cats a nice box that they liked to play in and then I took it away because we had to ship something and it was just the right size. I felt bad about it so when I came across another box at work I grabbed it.
I decided to make this one better than the last so I taped the top closed and cut two openings; one on the front and one on the side. I then cut a few peep holes in it so the box could feel like a little fort with spy holes to watch the “enemy.”
I named it “Fort Box” and the cats took to it right away, especially Colonel Chris who took over command of the fort.
I hereby assume command of Fort Box.
I know you’re there Frankie
Okay, Puck. Your turn to stand guard.
It’s scary in here…
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Photo Friday: Gone Fishing
This was the first photo taken using my first digital SLR (a Canon Rebel XT) that I got on my birthday, July 9, 2005. It is Abbey on our fish tank with her brother, Alex, watching her.
It is not perfect, technically, but I thought it was still worth sharing. What do you think?
Rebuilding Burnt Bridges – Part Two
For Throwback Thursday, I want to share a post which was the turning point of Chris and Frankie’s relationship. It was August, 2014, six months after we adopted Frankie and the first time the two boys were able to lie together without fighting.
Several weeks ago I wrote a post called Rebuilding Burnt Bridges where I talked about how Chris tormented Frankie for weeks after we adopted him but then had a change of heart and decided he wanted to be friends with Frankie. Unfortunately, that came too late and Frankie didn’t trust him. Not only that, whenever Chris tried to be nice, Frankie would attack him.
Since that post Chris has continued in his efforts to make peace and lately I have seen signs that things are getting better. They still fight, and Frankie is by no means ready to be Chris’s best buddy, but there are occasions when Chris moves in close to Frankie and Frankie doesn’t attack him. Indeed, sometimes he doesn’t leave either. I know it is not much but it is much better than what we have been used to seeing. Chris may be a bad cat but…
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Photo Friday: Coffee, Tea, or Cat
We bought a new Keurig coffee machine recently and the cats love the box that it came in. It seems like the perfect size for them.
It has been in our living room for over two weeks, longer than a typical box usually hangs around. My wife was tired of tripping over and asked me to throw it out the other day, but then she left for Virginia for a week so the cats still have until Tuesday to enjoy their box before I have to trash it.
Chris Still Does the Undoable
I have mentioned before that Floki is the most difficult cat to control in the universe. My wife and I working together can’t contain him long enough to cut just one of his nails. Forget about all ten. Chris, on the other hand, can hold him down indefinitely all by himself.
He used to hold down Puck by grabbing the scruff of his neck but now it’s Floki’s turn. What I don’t understand is why Floki doesn’t struggle like he does with us. I’ve held Floki by the scruff to no avail. He does cry loudly when Chris does that, which alerts me that I need to go break it up.
I have written a few posts on this subject in case you are bored and want to read on.
Shelter Cats Loafing in Litter
Since starting as a volunteer at the SPCA a few months ago, I have noticed a surprisingly high number of cats who spend there time lying in litter boxes. I don’t know why. The pods at the SPCA are about 100 square feet with plenty of vertical sleeping areas. Perhaps it is a reaction to stress. Considering there are between four and eight cats in each pod and the pods are constantly changing as cats come and go, I can understand why it would be stressful, especially for the more timid cats.
Sometimes they are joined by friends.
What do you think?
Floki Versus the Turbo Scratcher
I think the one cat toy in our house that has really stood the test of time is the Turbo Scratcher. The one we have now is one of two that we bought well over fifteen years ago (I don’t know what happened to the other one). It has not only lasted for years, it has also remained one of the most played with toys in the house.
Not all of our cats have been interested in it. Some have ignored it completely while others played with it occasionally, but there has always been one cat that goes back to it again and again. When Chris was young, he was the one. Then it was Puck and now Floki loves the Turbo Scratcher.
I often hear the sound of Floki playing with it but I never have a camera around. When I do go and get my camera or phone, as soon as I come back he is done playing. I was lucky to get the above video before Christmas and then promply forgot I had it until now.
Do you have any pet toys that have stood the test of time? I would love to hear about them.
Photo Friday: Favorite Christmas Present
Our cats got a three way cat tunnel for Christmas and they love it. A month later they still play with it.
What was your favorite present?
More Tests for Chris
Chris was back at the vet on Monday to get the blood test that he did not let them get when we were there last. This time my wife went with me to make sure I didn’t let them charge me $700 like the last vet did.
It was not easy getting him into the cat carrier and I felt bad doing it to him again.
There is a scale near the reception desk so I put Chris on it. After deducting the weight of the carrier I came up with 17.2 pounds, about three pounds less than a couple of months ago. I was both glad and concerned that he lost weight.
After they took him in the back, we waited for a very long time and then we heard the blood curdling screams. It was very distressing knowing that Chris was going through such a terrible trauma while we sat and listened. I know having a little blood taken is not that bad, but Chris was a confused cat being held down by strangers while someone poked him with something sharp. I can only imagine what was going through his mind. I wish they would have let me go back and help hold him. That might have been a little less stressful for both of us.
The vet offered anti-diarrhea medication which my wife, who was there to prevent me from overspending, gladly accepted. I was reluctant because I had just ordered probiotics from Amazon and preferred to try to correct the problem naturally and without drugs. We were able to get one of those pills down Chris’s throat once and then we gave up.
They also gave a a poop-kit. I have been instructed to collect Chris’s poop and bring it in. Since we have three cats, I need to see him poop and by now, Thursday morning, that has not happened yet.
I got a call from the vet on Tuesday. She said Chris’s bloodwork was mostly normal. She mentioned two or three of tests that were a little high but she also said the vomiting and stress might have caused the tests to be high and not the other way around. In a nutshell, it is unknown what caused the vomiting but it seems, at least from the bloodwork, that Chris is okay.
We were happy to hear that Chris is okay and hope we won’t have to bring him back anytime soon.
Bad Cat Chris 