response 26 of 77:

Jul 28 01:37 UTC 2000

 
 lelande, were you faster after you shaved yerself?

response 28 of 77:

Jul 28 15:53 UTC 2000

oh, adn get horse tranquilizers... it stops the dander...

response 30 of 77:

Jul 28 20:42 UTC 2000

Petty cat cruelties:
        Rapidly moving my feet *away* from passing felines to elicit startled
        jumps straight up.

        Basho, the escape artist, annually would be tossed into the winter's
        first *big* snow drift.  I only did it once per ann.  The act symbol-
        ized my frustration at trying to keep him indoors.

        I allowed my kids to do the laser pointer to my mother's cats:  it was
        rather boring until they aimed the light dot on the butt of the 
        unaware cat and then the cat crashes began.  (I wish my Dad had 
        lived to see that:  It would have cracked him up.)

        My first wife and I teased a territorial siamese on the stairway
        by our apartment door.  It was an ill-tempered, quarrelsome beast.
        We retreated inside when we heard someone coming.  We wondered 
        what was wrong when the footsteps went up past the spot we last 
        saw the mean cat.  Suddenly, there were cat and human screams when
        the blind guy upstairs stepped on the cat that we sort of wound up.

response 32 of 77:

Jul 29 21:02 UTC 2000

Re #2:  Depends on the cat.  Our old ones would chase real ojects,
but would not leap after a laser spot.  My brother's oldest has
become crotchety in his old age (2 years) and will watch the spot
but won't even paw at it.  The two younger ones go nuts.

Re #4:  I've had a twenty-something-year-old kid stomp on my laser
spot.  (He's ex-armed forces, maybe that has something to do with it.)

I'm disappointed that the pet owners posting to this item haven't
faced up to the real nature of their deeds.  For instance, #1
would probably read something like this:

        My cat never gets the liberty of going outdoors.  He has to
        endure hugs, ear scritches and chin rubs no matter how loudly
        he rumbles for mercy.  Sometimes he is too slow to avoid
        stomach pats.
 
        He has learned to avoid the torment of silly toys. If I bring
        one home he looks at me like "hmph".  The inmate is gaining
        control of the prison.

#6 might be re-written thusly:

        We treat our cats like babies.  They always climb all over us
        for attention like ill-mannered rug rats who want snacks.  We
        never let them have any good stuff like steak or salmon.
        Instead, we only let them chase inedible surrogate-prey like
        feather wands.  Cats are susceptible to Stockholm Syndrome,
        sympathizing with their kidnappers and their world-view; Gomez
        will drag his wand over to me and point at it until I pick it up.
        He has truly become One of Us.
        
        Morticia often fails to move fast enough to avoid belly rubs,
        Gomez is too slow for me but manages to avoid Anney on most days.
        Sasha...well...Sasha is Anney's subordinate.  Once in a while I
        get to pull rank, and then Sasha has to endure my scritchings.

You must admit what we know to be true:  the poor puddy cats
are so ABUSED and NEGLECTED!

                                                                        ;-)

response 34 of 77:

Jul 31 19:13 UTC 2000

Except well... Sasha is much more arrogant...  Just ask her.

Sasha is queen of all she surveys, and though she is forcibly kept 
cooped up (all escape attempts thus far have been foiled somewhere in 
the apt. building before she manages to get outside (save for the one 
time she got to the front porch and the time she managed to get out the 
back patio doors... but that last time she was foiled by Sarah, who 
snagged her and handed the grey fuzzy Queen over the fence to me where 
she was forced to endure head pets and an introduction to our neighbor 
Steve...) she rules.  The Queen sits on her throne, but knows that if 
she condescends to attention from me she'll get more in way of food... 
more food means more to bulk up on for when one of those escape 
attempts work and she wants to be prepared.

Toys?  Playing?  Right, only if you're not looking.  Try to torture her 
with a feather wand and ooooh the look she gives... Laser pointer?  
Nope, well... only if the little ones (Morticia and Gomez) aren't 
around, she has to keep up appearances for them, donchaknow, be a good 
example and all that.  

response 36 of 77:

Jul 31 19:34 UTC 2000

He always has a look of surprise on his face.  It cracks me up.  =)

Sasha will let me pet her if I bow to her upon entering a room and call her
"Your Majesty".  There are times, however, when she'll let me scritch her
behind the ears and on top of her head, but only if Anney isn't around.  What a
character...

I think she's just mad because I've started calling her "Sashalupagus" (after
Mr. Snuffleupagus).  She's a BBC (big beautiful cat).

response 38 of 77:

Jul 31 20:00 UTC 2000

...and then falls asleep again...

response 40 of 77:

Aug 1 13:26 UTC 2000

It's not just a sore muscle or something?

Yes, her Majesty likes to be bowed to. Jenn- I think the bath, claw 
clipping and brushing/clipping fur mats may have something to do with 
Sasha's dislike.  Or it could simply be that you're human and not the 
human in charge of food and clean litter- as such, you're below 
condencension... <grins>

response 42 of 77:

Aug 1 15:02 UTC 2000

My cat hates me  

response 44 of 77:

Aug 1 18:28 UTC 2000

Morticia is trying very very hard to be like her big sister, Sasha.  This does
not make me happy.  Morticia is still a slut and cute in her own way, but she
sits like Sasha and falls asleep like her (only not on her back like a rug). 
Anne thinks this is hilarious.  Sarah does not.  Regardless, Morticia is now
referred to as the Princess (fitting), and Gomez was labeled the Fool.  He can
do neat tricks, and he's intelligent, but he has an air of comedy about him.

response 46 of 77:

Aug 1 18:32 UTC 2000

Scott's so cute...

Kitty kisses can be good, but they can be annoying too... <grins> 
Especially when a certain cat *coughGomezcough* tries to french whom 
ever he is kissing...

Aww... c'mon, it is funny... Lil Ticia trying to look like Big Sasha.  
And it was too cute when I was looking down at her and said 'You're not 
an adult kitty are you?' followed by her plaintative meow. <grins>

Whaddya mean before we realize? <grins>

(And will you QUIT slipping in?  I've tried to post this TWICE now. 
<laughs>)

response 48 of 77:

Aug 1 19:14 UTC 2000

Cat hugs rule. Harlis makes little noises when you hug him.