Old Kitty Constipation

Georgia has been straining to have bowel movements. I was worried and at first thought I would rush her in but she's been better now and so I am taking her in to the naturopathic vet the first part of next week. Constipation is not uncommon in older kitties. Certainly any cat can get constipated and the most common cause is furballs.
In older cats, constipation can be a sign that their kidneys are not functioning properly and they don't stay hydrated well enough and so their stools become very dry and very hard. The regular vet is unlikely to have any advice beyond fiber (which she gets) so I figured the naturopathic vet might have more creative ideas. She's such a wonderful cat that I want her to live as long and as healthy a life as possible.

I'm A tiger

You are a Tiger. You are very unique and rare.


What Cat Are You?
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Purring

Although most everyone says that cats purr not only when they are happy but when they are ill or frightened, I have to wonder. Are they working on a self soothing solution? Think about how the sound of a cat's purr makes you feel. As a human I find it inordinately comforting and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy and like I can just sit and nap all day or something. In other words, I am soothed.

Cats do purr when they are happy. I have to wonder if those who are purring in stressful situations (I once had a cat who wouldn't stop purring at the vet and she was holding his paws under water to try and make him stop and he just purred louder) are actually doing their best to soothe themselves.

I have no idea about this as I'm not a scientist, yet the part of me that humanizes my cats reactions kind of has to think so.

However, I'm sure that Gemini's soft little purr is simply because she's just such a happy cat in her world.

She's so Big

Lately I keep looking at Gemini and realizing how big she is. She was walking on a path that her little kitten toes held her to for many long months and today she fell off that edge. She wasn't hurt, but it reminds me how much larger she is than when I got her.

Her fur puffs out all over and her tail is bushy as ever. She's sweet rather than hyper. I like that. She's nearly as big as Georgia but her body length is shorter. I have no doubt that in another few months she'll be my largest cat. She's a glorious looking little thing, though.

Chey's Blog

Okay so Chey's blog on my siamese is coming right along. I'm rather happy with how easy it was to tweak the wordpress template that I downloaded and get a picture of her up.

Gemini isn't at all upset. I'm not sure that she cares one way or another that I write about her or not.

It's funny that all three of my cats are very alpha sort of cats yet they all get along well with each other. Georgia, the eldest is clearly the leader and the others look to her for how to act. I have read it's probably because she's the calmest of them. Gemini is sort of on the bottom right now but she's still basically a kitten. In Pam Bennett-Johnson's book on multicat households she says that when Gemini gets to be about two years old she'll be socially mature and then I can expect some heirarchy problems in the household.

Well something to look forward to huh?

Wow!

Wow, I just looked at my post numbers and this post is number 101. I can't believe that post 100 was so short. Still I've been busy busy busy with a hundred little odds and end that has made it hard to keep up blogging. I started this to have something fun to write on daily and to force myself to work over any writer's block and just write. Gemini and the others are always up to something fun and amusing it seemed like an easy way to keep up. Mostly that works but lately, it's been hard to sit down and do it!

At any rate, I now have a banner that I've been rotating through my blog surfers and I hope that's been fun for those who like Gemini's adventures. She helps out by sitting next to me when I'm online and snoozing. I hope to have a larger photo of her here soon so that everyone can see how big she's gotten!

Yesterday we shaved up her little furry bottom without incident. She wiggled too much for me to do it alone but it wasn't much of a hassle when I had an extra pair of hands. She's really a very good cat. Long hair though she has, she doesn't shed much which I find interesting.

Have a good day or week, depending on where the offline stuff takes me.. and to be honest a bit of a Civ III Complete addiction. MAC user, so that just came out... now that PC users get CIV IV! I'm so jealous! Gemini likes to watch the little guys run around doing their things...

Hunger or Affection?

So the cats must have missed me while I was out today. Chey won't leave me alone. I noticed there was some food left in the dish when I got home and I'm thinking this must mean they really didn't like the food choice last night and they are hungry.

I find it sad that I think the only time my cats like me is when they are hungry.

Gemini Loves Georgia

I have always heard that when cats bring you gifts (ie dead mice or birds) that they are showing a sign of love and respect. After all, they are offering you first and foremost the chance to eat the fresh kill! Isn't that kind of them?

I have always tried to thank Georgia nicely for her presents when she wandered outside. Gemini has not been outside, but when I left this morning there was a foil ball toy in the bathroom upstairs. When I came home at lunch, Georgia was still in her spot on the bed snoozing, as she had been when I left and the foil ball had moved from the bathroom to by her head. Georgia might have batted the ball around, but she has never been one to carry around toys in her mouth. Gemini, however, does this regularly.

I can only surmise from this that Gemini found the ball and brought it up to Georgia to show her how much she liked her. Of course, she could have just been startled by the other cat on the bed and dropped the ball and it means no such thing. I prefer, however, to think that my cats actually like each other.

More pictures

Here's a more recent picture of Gemini. I just can't believe how big she is getting!

Snoozing

The cats love it when I sleep in, usually. However the other day everyone left the bed. Gemini and Chey seem to be having it out over who is second in command to Georgia's rule and they spent more time on the bed fighting than being cute.

It's too bad really. Gemini is such a little lover and Chey is just so fun. Gemini likes to curl up in the chair next to me while I am online. Chey prefers to wander in front of me and distract me from the screen. It's possible that Chey only likes me when I am ignoring her and she wants to prove that I am not just ignoring her, but it's hard to say!

Don't stretch with cats

So there I was, on the floor, reaching for my toes. My left hip has been tight and that was stretching and it hurt a bit more than usual. So there is Gemini, in front of my face, calmly washing the tip of her hind toe, with her leg in the air.

Georgia watching me turned to lick the tip of her tail.

Cheysuli rolled around on her back do bends that even the most accomplished yogi would admire.

Show offs.

The vibration sensor

I want to know how this sensor that I put on the counter can sense when I walk into the kitchen? I am not an elephant but let me walk past it too quickly and it starts to sound.

This would be mildly annoying but not enough to be frustrated with, except for the fact that Chey (the reason for the sensor on the counter) can leap on the counter next to it and lick off the dirty silverware and pans in the sink and it does not go off.

Basically I guess this means that my breathing is heavier than her entire body. I feel like a cow.

More doctored photos

There I was in my treatment room and I got my photo taken. It's been doctored. I don't think Gemini has ever been there--after all people have allergies! And I certainly don't have my Iggy picture on the wall! But it looks great there!

Of knees and cats

I took a hot shower tonight after coming home from skiing. My knee hurt and I thought this would be a nice thing. The cats decided to listen to the clock radio. While I was in the shower they stepped on the play button for the radio and suddenly there are people in my house. There I am, showering away, with soap in my hair wondering WHO is in my house as I don't recognize the voices talking...

Fortunately I did not injure my knee any more jumping out of the shower to see who was there. It was also fortunate that the cat who did this was no where around as I was quite enjoying my moment of deliciously hot water running down a very sore knee.

I'm sure that Chey and Georgia will be sorry that they aren't allowed on my legs tonight as I'm sore enough that I'm unlikely to appreciate any more pressure on the knee joint. Gemini has always been a sit near you, not on you sort of cat. Nevertheless, she is quite the little love bug!

Maybe she's just cold

So after annoying me with her meowing yesterday, Chey is now rubbing up against me and purring. Of course, this morning I had a leisurely morning and I was curled up under the blankets and turned up the heat. Chey was enjoying sitting on the nightstand that's near the heater and she preened there. Her ears were even warm, which is unusual.

All day she's been quiter than she has been. I wonder if her noisiness was just about being cold?

For all her extra fur, even Gemini gets cold, but she crawls under the covers, which Chey won't do. I wonder if it feels too much like being trapped?

De-meowing

Okay, I know it's a horrible surgery but they debark dogs. Can I de-meow a cat?! Chey is driving me nuts!!!

Waking up with Cats

So I took a brief nap and found myself surrounded by fur. Chey was on my leg, Georgia at my feet and Gemini curled next to my chest. I felt them walking on me as I dozed and it was nice to wake and find that everyone was snoozing and enjoying themselves. I'm sure we get better rest when we are all pig piled together!

Now, I'm up and about and Chey is talking and talking. She is certain she is not fed enough. Gemini however likes to just lay by my feet and enjoys watching me work on my computer. Well, she's probably dreaming of fun cat toys and a place where Chey isn't keeping her awake from her nap!

Cat New Year's Resolutions

I doubt cats ever think they need to improve enough to make New Year's resolutions so I have made them for them. We have gotten some vibration sensors to put on the counters to help keep Chey off of them. We are also going to work harder on keeping Gemini from scratching on the sofa!

So I guess these are my resolutions to have better behaved cats but you know what? I kinda like having cats that have resolutions!