WARM FUZZY THOUGHTS
BY
DONNA LOZICKI

You’ve heard all the sad tales about abandoned and injured cats. Now it’s time to think about the real reasons you need a cat. CATS ARE FUN! CATS ARE GOOD COMPANY! I’ve even been told that petting a purring cat helps reduce stress and lower blood pressure. So, CATS ARE HEALTHY!

You have to understand that once you adopt a cat, you are no longer King of the Hill. Whether you recognize this fact or not, the new ruler has moved in. If you want to live in harmony with the new King or Queen, as the case may be, it is extremely important to understand how your cat communicates.

When your cat meows, he may just be saying “hello.” (For the purpose of this article, and meaning no disrespect to the females of the species, I will refer to cats as “him”.) Hello is usually expressed with a soft-spoken meow. However, a very loud MEEEOOOW signifies that your pet wants to eat or wants your attention. Failure to answer this summons may result in an attack on your furniture.

Why do cats twitch their tails back and forth? Experts say this is a sign of annoyance and a request to be left alone. I’m not so sure about that. My cat twitches his tail when I say, “Flip your tail,” usually when he is snuggled up in my lap being petted. On the other hand, again according to experts, a slow twitch of his tail usually means your pet is contented and feeling good. A high, quivering tail is a compliment to you, as your pet is communicating, “You’re the best!” For the last one, I will certainly defer to the experts—after all, someone has to think I’m the best.

While humans kiss with their lips, a long steady look from your cat with several long, slow blinks is the equivalent of a cat kiss. If you blink back in the same manner, you will be telling your cat, “I love you, too.” When your cat is annoyed, his pupils will be narrow and dilated. To get back in his good graces, sit on the floor and talk to him. Cats’ ears are especially attuned to high-pitched sounds like kissing noises. Use lots of words that start with the following sounds: s, t, sh, ch, h, or w.

If you notice your cat’s whiskers lying flat against his cheeks, he’s afraid. Approach him slowly from the side and turn your own body sidewise. This will make your approach seem more friendly. Talk to him
during your approach to reassure him, using the consonant sounds mentioned above.

We all know that cats rub their faces against their owners to say hello. Sometimes a shy cat will rub against a chair or nearby object belonging to its owner. The best way to say hello back is to kneel on the floor and extend your fist ahead of you. Then let the shy cat come to you. This simulates two cats greeting each other, by nose to nose sniffing. Your fist is similar to another cat’s nose.

In addition to the attributes I mentioned above, CATS ARE GOOD PLAYMATES. Your individual cat’s personality will determine what type of playing he likes. Our cat, Spook, liked a little rough and tumble playing at times. My son would roll him into a ball and carry him under his arm saying, “This is my bowling ball.” Another favorite was to drape Spook over his shoulder and carry him around like a sack of potatoes. Although this often resulted in tee shirts being donated to the rag pile, amazingly Spook came back for more. Then there was the wheelbarrow game, They would parade through the house with my son holding Spook’s rear legs off the floor. Did Spook ever protest these games or try to get away? Not on your life! Spook’s all-time favorite game was “The Flying Mouse.” We devised this game after purchasing a mouse on elastic to hang in our doorway. Since Spook kept managing to grab it and pull it down, we tied it to the fishing pole. The mouse would be whipped back and forth with Spook chasing it madly and having the time of his life. Want to find the cat?? Just whip the mouse through the air and watch the cat materialize.

It’s 4 a.m., the birds are chirping and here comes Spook. When I tried locking him out of my room, he would push on the door, making it sound like someone was knocking. Letting him in was worse. If I ignored him, he’d walk across my face, and put his nose against mine. I’d turn the other way and he’d repeat himself. When Spook tired of this game, he’d just drape himself across my face. In order to breathe, I had to acknowledge his presence. By the time I let him out, I was usually wide awake. In sheer desperation, I finally discovered that our third floor porch had the perfect solution. The only outdoor access to this porch was up or down the tree. We could prop the door open a tiny bit with a sneaker. Spook could come and go as he pleased. I slept and peace reigned.

When we adopted Spook, our intention was to have an indoor cat. After several harrowing weeks, I determined that this particular cat was not meant to be cooped up. The first thing Spook did at seven weeks was fall off our third-story porch. He survived the mishap unscathed, but from then on all he wanted was “OUT.”

Spook next started running a marathon from room to room. He’d hop onto the back of the sofa, turn around and make a flying leap to the floor. All we would see was a streak of white with gray touches madly exiting from the living room, dashing into the dining room, through the kitchen and “crunch,” smashing into the pantry cupboards. Undeterred, he would simply reverse directions and repeat himself, ending up on the back of the sofa. Since I was usually reclining on the sofa, reading a book, this was very disconcerting. We lived with these antics for a while until Spook’s rampages through the apartment left a mess of turned over plants behind him. Then, when we weren’t home, Spook would play in the dirt while we were gone. He didn’t use these plants for litter boxes; he just played in the dirt.

When I stated previously that acquiring a cat meant the cat would rule, I wasn’t kidding. We were captives in our own apartment. To leave, my son would have to hold the cat and stand by the door. Then I would start down the stairs. My son would gently toss Spook onto the sofa and duck out, slamming the door behind.

I finally realized that Spook needed to spend time outdoors. We started taking him into the yard for short periods. Actually, in reality, it was the other way around. He took us into the yard for short periods. Then his explorations led him beyond our yard and through the neighborhood. One day, my son Michael heard a neighborhood kid calling, “Here, Whitey!” Since Spook was outside, he went to check. Sure enough, the kid was calling Spook. That kid had just purchased Spook from another kid for the mighty sum of $1.

Training his owners wasn’t enough for Spook. He soon trained the neighbors also. Sometimes he would meow at the front door downstairs until those tenants let him in. With his tail swishing, he would sashay grandly through their apartment and meow at their back door to be let out. When he started up the back stairs, they would phone us so we could open the back door.

I always recommend a well-balanced diet for your cat. Specifically, following your vet’s directions is the safest way to go. I hate to confess that Spook ate whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. Even when Spook was outside, we were positive he could hear us open the refrigerator door. I remember trying to diet by eating more fish even though the smell of cooking fish gags me. Healthy and nutritious, right? I bought a $5 filet of something or other in wine sauce, thinking that it wouldn’t smell too fishy cooking in the microwave. While I gagged at the smell, Spook went crazy trying to find the fish. He was on the counters, the table, everywhere. Finally, we locked Spook in the bathroom while the fish cooled. Spook ate my filet. I dieted—sick from the smell, I couldn’t eat anything.

If we heard a crash during the night, we would know Spook was having a little snack. He chewed on cantaloupe rinds and green beans, but his all-time favorite was pizza crust. If there was pizza crust in the trash, you know he’d find it. He also developed a weakness for tuna. Sometimes he would just sit and cry over his regular food, until you opened a can of tuna.

I guess Spook has been with us for about 13 years now. Although he has mellowed with age and no longer plays wild games, Spook still appears like magic whenever the refrigerator door opens.

Resources:
"Are Cats Smart," Reader's Digest, October 189, pp. 110-116.
"How to Speak Your Pet's Secret Language, Woman's World, Feb. 13, 2001, pp. 14-15.

Do you have a heart-warming story about your pet or an animal you know? We would love to hear from you. How about an amazing accomplishment by some pet in your life? You know, Spick came hundreds of miles to get back home, Fluffy save the day by alerting the family of danger, or Spot the neighborhood watchdog. Whatever special talent your pet may have, we’d love to hear about it. We will publish as many “Warm/Fuzzy Thoughts” as we can. Funny, sad, amazing—our readers would like to hear about it.

Send you stories to: Kitty Keepers, 600 23rd Avenue West, Havre, MT 59501 or email them with the subject being Warm Fuzzy Thoughts to: kittykeepers@kittykeepers.org