Demando Cats: Do You Have One...or Two?

Cats definitely have their individual methods by which they  disturb our sleep. Frequently impatient imps when their patience has reached critical mass, they can always manage to find a way to have their "kneads" known.

If Hypnus miraculousy grants me the gift of slumbering past my habitual waking time, our cat, Hush Puppy, (above) can discover ways to laugh in his face in total defiance.

His favorite trick is to  continuously and  vigorously pounce upon my top sheet until I begrudgingly succumb to meet his urgent request for me to serve up his breakfast.

They say that a "picture is worth a thousand words". This little video posted on YouTube by simonscat, humorously captures feline frenzy at its finest.

I am sure you will get a giggle out of this one, as you identify with the haggard human subjected to his cat's demands.

"A hungry cat resorts to increasingly desperate measures to wake its sleeping owner."

Do your kitties have a special method to get your attention? What are some of the things that they do that drive you nuts? (Lovingly, of course!) Share with us so that our cats may learn from your experience.

Cat Toys: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The carpets around my house are beginning to resemble an ancient burial ground for prehistoric cat toys. Strewn hither and yon, I am considering hiring an anthropologist to help discover their origin.

Now I realize that a few of these tattered toys amazingly remain my cats' favorites, but as I  run across fragments of eyes, pieces of ears and stumps of tails that were at one time part of what I considered to be attractive playthings,  it is difficult for me to understand what keeps these skeletons so alluring to my cats.  I have to admit that I sometimes dispose of them, much to their chagrin.

As I wander through my house, I am aghast at the number of little furry or feathered bodies which were at one time recognizable, tossed aloft and deftly chased with enthusiasm by my pussycat predators. I had forgotten about most of them, but I suspect  my cats stash them away for a rainy day, leaving them scattered around randomly in almost every room for their convenience.

It seems that the bathroom is the storage spot in which my cats prefer to hide their "loot". I discovered these two bandits this morning apparently gloating over the bodies of their kill.

 
These adorable "Rosie  Rats" won't last long, sadly to say. Within a week or two, my three hunters will annihilate  these pristine furry critters, tailoring them to fit their needs.

Now I ask you what should a kitty mom do to keep them happy?  I far prefer the appearance of these adorable little guys to the worn out remains that they seem to adore. Am I being selfish?

Of course my kitty gifts really should be unconditional. I guess I will just have to continuously restock their supply as the toys fall apart from their constant use. It  must mean that I have hit the jackpot in finding toys that they most enjoy.

Do your cats appear to favor their older "used up" toys over the newer, more attractive and appealing variety?  Please leave a comment and share your cat toy experiences.

Feline Intelligence: How do we Define it?

I have sung the praises of my super-genius cat Hush Puppy.  But since I seem to have a highly analytical mind, I started to give a lot of thought relating to the different qualities of intelligence in which each of my cats excel.

Hush Puppy is a whiz at figuring out how to break into or out of areas in our house which my other two cats, Lucyfur and Trouble could care less about. They let him do the work and reap the benefits.

Trouble's talent lies in his ability to do "cute" to such a high degree that it is always difficult for us to become angry with any of his mischievous  antics.

Lucyfur on the other hand scores high on the hunting skills achievement table and thrills us with her "revert to the wild" behavior when she is in pursuit of a toy or other object which has caught her fancy.

The "Rosie the Rat" toy, which I found at a cat show several years ago, seems to be "her" favorite possession, and when she gets into the mood to show off her hunting prowess, woe betide either of my other cats if they get in her way.

I think this little video demonstrates how focused Lucyfur can be when she chooses Rosie for the target for her pleasure, don't you agree?

Have any of your cats claimed a toy or object as theirs, also? Leave a comment and let us know.

 

Where's Kitty?

 
Our lilac point Oriental Shorhair cat, Hush Puppy has been consistently fascinated by the variety of planters containing silk ivy  around our house. They definitely offer him opportunites to blend in with the deep green leaves to find  that purrfect  hiding place.

He has thoroughly checked out each and every container around the house resulting in the choice of the basket which graces out garden tub.

He generally ventures into this basket while I luxuriate in our garden tub and I often wonder what may be motivating him to practice this repetitive behavior.

Does anyone have an idea what might be on his mind?  Being a neutered male, he certainly isn't a "peeping" Tom by any stretch of the imagination.

Leave a comment and help me solve this mystery, please!

 

Lucyfur: The Top Drawer Kitty

Have you ever had one of those days when your patience is stretched to the max? Do your pets suddenly behave in a way that fries your last nerve?

Today was one of those days for me!

Living in Florida does have some great advantages during the Winter months. Today's Spring- like weather inspired me to keep my promise to gather clothing to donate to a local shelter. It was a project that was long overdo. I was guilty of procrastinating but promised myself that after the first of the year I would would set aside time to undertake this task.

Going through the closets was a breeze. I was able to shut the closet door behind me in order to do my work without any feline interference. They do so love to assist their mama with interesting chores.

Closet finished, I set out to go through our dresser drawers to search for shirts and sweaters, all in excellent condition which we had sadly outgrown. All of a sudden, Ms. Lucyfur decided that the thrill of exploring the open drawers was far too much of a temptation. Jumping in with lightening speed before I could intervene, she somehow discovered that she was able to explore the entire dresser, squeezing herself into a flattened feline and fitting where no other cat would deign to attempt.

I tried to catch her but she eluded my hand. My husband, eager to get to work, was not thrilled in the least. His reddened complexion expressed his exasperation in living color. With evident frustration, he barked orders at me to grab her by her front paws, which resulted in hisses and throaty menacing growls which rivaled those made by big cats. I had no idea she could be so fierce.

Trying to remain calm, we carefully removed each drawer one at a time.However,as each drawer was extricated, Lucyfur moved more deeply into the bowels of the dresser. Bound and determined to evade capture, she slithered into spaces that were unreachable. The clothing strewn all over the floor made our job extremely difficult.

Finally, after most of the drawers lay spread out on the carpet at our feet , Lucyfur decided to come on out, wearing an expression that could only be interpreted as a Cheshire Cat grin. She was taunting us and appeared to be enjoying every second.

I fervently hope that we will never have to endure this kind of tabby- cat torture again. Alas, I know that she has more tricks up her sleeve and will be on the lookout for an another opportunity to drive us batty. She so enjoys being naughty.

Have you had exasperating experiences with your pets? Please let me know that we are not alone.