Tag Archives: Cats

The Return of the Egret

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When we moved into our current home almost two years ago, an egret would show up every afternoon expecting to be fed. I assumed the previous resident had fed the bird and I felt bad letting him (I will assume it is male for this writing) go hungry, but we typically don’t have meat suitable for birds lying around the house. I tried giving him cat food but that was a no-go. We did buy hot dogs for him once but we are not always home and didn’t want the bird to become dependent on us so we stopped feeding him when the dogs were gone. Soon he only came around occasionally and then not at all.

That changed the other day when he showed up at our back door looking for food. I’m not sure what changed but he apparently has a long memory.

egretAgain we had no food for him. Rose wanted me to throw him some cheese but I didn’t think that was a good idea, partially because the cats were very interested in him and opening the door would have been difficult with two bad cats and Puck wanting to run out.

Cats and egretbad cat chris watching egret Eventually he got the hint and went away. I felt very bad not giving him anything but I think it would be better if I teach him how to fish.

 

The Cats and the Contractors

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Today I had the day off from work and we had two contractors scheduled for the same time. The plumber arrived first and all three cats were on the patio at the same time so I just slipped the cover on the cat door so they couldn’t come inside. Chris was actually the good cat this time while Frankie and Puck were desperate to come inside.

I was a little surprised Puck was desperate to get inside a house with a stranger in it but I understood that under the bed was where he was comfortable riding out the “stranger” storm. Of course, getting to the bed meant going right past the big, bad plumber. Frankie didn’t surprise me. He is a pain when he wants to go out and a pain when he wants to come in.

I thought the desperation in both cats was worth getting on video so I quickly opened the slider, stepped out and closed it again. Unfortunately I wasn’t fast enough and Puck slipped past me and into the house, bumping his head on the door as he went in. I felt bad about that but it didn’t slow him down in his effort to get UTB.

I did manage to capture Frankie’s desperate attempt to get in the house while Chris lied on the ground and watched his craziness.

Our cat Frankie

Our cat Chris

Our cat Frankie

As soon as the plumber left I let them back in the house. Five minutes later, two guys showed up to replace our living room window, which the lawn guy chipped several months ago. Puck was still under the bed so I picked up Chris and Frankie and put them in the bedroom and shut the door. After about fifteen minutes of loud banging, they were done and life was back to normal.

What do you do with your pets when a stranger comes to your house?

Three Cats, One Yard, No Lizards

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Sunday we let all three cats explore the back yard again. Frankie still needs to be on a leash so he doesn’t run away but Chris and Puck were free to play while Rose kept an eye on them.

Frankie is getting used to the leash and harness and did not get as freaked out by the sudden stop like he did in the past. The three of them spent some time, just like last week, trying to catch lizards. Unfortunately for them, the lizards were a bit quicker than they were last week when Chris and Puck both caught one.

Cat looking for lizard

Where are you lizard?

cat on leash

Everything went well until after we brought the cats inside. That is when, after noticing how desperate our plants needed water, I decided to go back out and water them. I should have been more watchful for bad cats because on the way out Frankie surprised me and slipped out the door with Chris right behind him. Fortunately our neighbor left their patio door open and Frankie went inside to explore. I didn’t have my camera so I was not able to get pictures of him trapped in someone else’s home.

I didn’t want to possibly break the law by going inside so I went around the other side and was able to get him to head towards Rose who scooped him up coming out the door. Hopefully someday I will be able to let him out without worrying he will run away.

A Gift Arrives

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We adopted Chris in late 2009 from a shelter named Sav-R-Cats in Surfside, South Carolina (near Myrtle Beach). I met Chris while I was volunteering for Sav-R-Cats and worked with Shirley and Linda who are not only still there, but still keep up with Chris and his shenanigans. They decided to send Chris, Frankie and Puck a gift which arrived the other day.

Cats inspecting packageFrankie and Puck were interested right away, Chris was off doing his own thing and was not aware something new was in the house. As soon as I opened it, the two of them were inspecting the contents.

Cats inspecting package

Soon Chris sensed something was up and was there in an instant to lend a paw in the inspection process.
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Even the box itself was thoroughly checked out.Cats inspecting package

Inside the box were some lovely, handmade blankets, two with a gold cat and one with a black cat. One each for Chris, Frankie and Puck.cat blankets

But there was something else in the box.20150212_Cats_0960

Cats inspecting package

The blankets were already a great gift but there were also toys in the box.

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Some of the toys were labeled “Loony Loops” and “Springs.” There was a toy called a “Hexbug,” which looked interesting but I decided to save that for later. The first one I took out was a spring which Chris immediately started chasing around the house.

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They loved the blankets too.

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There was also an envelope.EnvelopeInside was a nice card and note from Shirley, Linda and the cats at the shelter.

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Sadly, many of the cats on the note were Chris’s shelter mates in 2009 and are still there. There is Ace, Ralph, Jack, Jerry and Yoda, Cole, Carter, Sarah and Alinda. I took Pictures back then for Petfinder and remember some of those names, like Jerry and Yoda.

cats Yoda and Jerry

Yoda and Jerry at Sav-r-Cats, dated October 3, 2009.

These two cats are best friends and must be adopted together, which may have made it more difficult for them. They have lived a good part of their lives in a shelter (Jerry since 2006) and could possibly die there without ever knowing a good home. Of course, they are treated well at the shelter but I would love to see these two and the other “old timers” find a loving home to live out their remaining days.

Another cat that I remember on the card is Sarah. It seems the males are more likely to be long-timers at a shelter but not always.

Sarah, Sav-r-cats

Sarah, dated November 11, 2009

There is also Jack, who reminds me of our departed cat Tigger.

Jack, photo taken October 3, 2009.

Jack, photo taken October 3, 2009.

Not on the card is Hope, who I photographed in early 2010.

Hope, dated February 11, 2010.

Hope, dated February 11, 2010.

If anyone lives near Myrtle Beach, or know someone who does, and would like to help a cat or two that have been in a shelter too long, please contact Sav-R.Cats.com or check out their Petfinder page.

Update: It turns out that Hope was adopted so that is good news.

A Good Day For Being Outside… and Hunting Lizards

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Sunday was a beautiful day so we decided to put the harness on Frankie and let him outside. He has been terrible lately with his picking at the screen by the front door. Counting yesterday, he has pulled the entire screen off the window at least five times, three times after I put tape on it to hold it in and once after I put extra tape on it. Rose thinks he was an outside cat and we are being cruel forcing him to stay inside. I understand her concerns but I think we live too close to a busy road for that to be an option. Perhaps if we lived down the road a bit I would consider getting him a collar and letting him out during the day.

Our cat Frankie on his leashI got Rose’s help and let all the cats out the back door on Sunday. I held Frankie’s leash while Rose watched Chris and Puck. Everything went pretty well for a while then Rose yelled to me that Puck had caught a lizard and brought it in the house. She wanted me to get it out but I had to get the cats in first so I gave her Frankie and went to get Chris. While I was trying to catch him he caught a lizard too.

I gave him to Rose who was able to get the lizard out of his mouth while I went inside to find Puck. He was in the bathroom where he had dropped the lizard into the litter box. Not sure what his plan was but I scooped up the lizard and put him outside.

I brought my new camera with me and took a video but unfortunately I had replaced the memory card with one that was too slow to handle video so it kept shutting off after a few seconds of shooting. I also tried to get a picture of Chris with a lizard bit he moved too fast for a good shot.

Bad Cat Chris catching lizard

Chris catching a lizard.

Incredible Feline Survival Stories

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The other day I saw a Facebook post from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay about a cat that literally came back from the grave. My first thought was to share the story but then it occurred to me that I follow other cats on Facebook that have equally impressive stories of great trauma and survival, so I though I would share some of their stories as well.

The first story is about a cat named Bart. He was hit by a car and found by a neighbor, “stiff and in a pool of blood.” The neighbor brought Bart to his owner who buried him. Somehow Bart managed to dig himself out of the grave and was found by a neighbor five days later. That neighbor knew that Bart was dead and buried and brought him to his owner. The owner could not afford the cost to treat him and asked the Human Society for help.


Bart continues to improve and his prognosis looks good. The Humane Society has investigated Bart’s home environment and the circumstances surrounding the accident and burial and decided not to return Bart to his home. You can learn more about Bart and his progress here.

 

Then there is Mr. Biscuits. He was a young cat in Philadelphia that was cold and decided to keep warm in the engine of a car where he got stuck. The driver of the car was not aware of his presence and drove to work. Fortunately, he noticed a problem with his power steering and opened his hood when he got to work to see what was wrong. That is when he made the shocking discovery.

Animal control officers worked for nearly two hours before freeing the kitten, who was severely burned over 25% of his body. He may have even been on fire at one point. He was rushed to Metropolitan Veterinary Associates who thought his injuries were too severe to treat but after seeing him lying on the table and “making biscuits” they decided to try.

Mr. Biscuits was taken in by The Grannie Project, a rescue organization that normally helps older cats but made an exception for Mr. Biscuits. Thanks to their help, he continues to improve.

 

 

Joe the cat

theobserver.ca

Another amazing survival story is Joe The Cat. Joe was found on the side of the road near Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. He was shot in the head 17 times with a pellet gun. A good Samaritan, thinking he was hit by a car, picked him up and brought him to the Humane Society.

Surviving 17 shots to the head, presumably at close range, is a miracle in itself, but what is really amazing is how the people of Sarnia came together in support of Joe. Two men were charged in the shooting and now the people are rallying around Joe’s cause in a fight to establish tougher penalties for animal abusers. Even though I have no influence in Ontario, I support their cause.

 

Last, but not least, there is Frosty the Frozen Kitten. She was found in  barn on Dec 30th, 2013.  The temperature had been below zero for many days and colder weather was on the way. She was so frozen that one of her limbs would not move and her eyes were frozen open. It was a miracle that she survived the first night and was near death for several days.

Slowly she started to get better. Her blindness caused by the extreme cold has healed but she still has trouble regulating he body temperature and will sometimes wear clothing or sleep on a heated cat bed.

You can read the entire story of Frosty’s rescue and rehabilitation here.

I think all of these cats are amazing but the true heroes are the ones who worked hard in the background to help save these cats and give them hope for a better future.  The same can be said for everyone who helps an animal in need. What do you think of these amazing kitties? Do you know of another survival story that you would like to share?

Don’t forget that you can follow Bad Cat Chris along with the above kitties on Facebook by following these links.  Bart – Via The Humane Society of Tampa Bay,  Mr. Biscuits,  Joe the Cat  and  Frosty the Frozen Kitten

Update: After posting this I realized I missed writing about Bobbie the Survivor. A bobcat attacked her and left her for dead. When someone discovered her and called for help, the bobcat came back and attacked again. You can read more of her story here. I also missed Crouton – Fire Survivor and Cat Extraordinaire. He was inside a house that was completely destroyed by fire. Read his story here.