CA POPPY
Santa Clarita, CA, USA
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Joined: 07/07/2003
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Wanderlost wrote:Spot has a new game. As we walked back from the mailbox, he suddenly jumped up, bopped me in the backside, then dashed around me and grabbed my foot, then ran ahead of me. I made doggie panting noises, he jumped and whirled around, saw it was me, and started the game again.
This went on all the way back to the house. Then he saw Bobbi and dashed off to play with her.
Spot is so funny.
He sounds so darned cute and smart! ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
Judy & Bud (Judy usually the one talking here)
Darcy the Min Pin
2004 Pleasure-Way Excel TD
California poppies in the background
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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When Alex was young and determined to kill and eat everything smaller than him, he would frequently stay out late. Being very food oriented, we taught him to come inside before our bedtime, by giving treats. If he came in before 10:00 pm, he got treats. After that, no treats.
He started coming in earlier and earlier, looking for treats, then he'd want back outside. No dice. After 8:00 pm, he was in for the night.
Many years later, and he still is inside in time for treats. Spot is starting to put two and two together, but mostly he comes inside about sundown, because he just prefers to be inside. He knows a good deal and isn't about to risk being lost/abandoned again.
Bobbi is Alex all over again, but she's not so food oriented. In fact, she hasn't caught anything except the occasional bug so far, but she does love to roam about the place. However, she absolutely loves Fancy Feast dry cat food, which we buy as treats. Night before last, I saw her on the slope below the swimming pool, not even slightly interested in coming inside. So I opened the door, shook the Fancy Feast bag, and she was inside at warp speed. Then last night, she came inside about 8:00 pm, looked at me, and ran to the treats cabinet.
Heh. Success. All the kitties are inside long before bedtime now.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Czarny, black cat
Rainbow Bridge: Spotacus, Alexander the Grrreat, and so very many more
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computerbug
Sarasota
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Joined: 07/17/2005
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I love reading your stories. keep them coming. I'm so happy Spot decided to let you keep him. Cathie
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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I'll do my best, Cathie.
This morning, all three cats accompanied me, more or less, on the walk down to open the gate and get the paper. Spot came the whole way, Bobbi only halfway before seeing something she had to stalk. Alex met us halfway on the way back -- he'd stayed inside to finish everyone's breakfast. Spot didn't play with me this walk -- he chased Alex back up the hill and onto the south porch. Bobbi stayed close to me until we reached the deer water trough, then peeled off to do whatever she does. Otherwise, it was a quiet morning.
When WLToo retired, he started giving Alex treats about lunchtime. When I retired, we continued the practice, until Bobbi came along. I'm not sure what stopped us, but it may have been because Alex was too busy exploring our acreage to come in for lunch treats, and she was not food oriented.
Last week, I started the lunch treats again. Alex was instantly back in the treats groove, and Spot appeared the moment the bag opened. Bobbi was not interested in the commercial treats, but when I broke out the Fancy Feast dry food as treats, she was all over that -- at least, when she showed up at treats time.
Today, Bobbi figured out lunchtime treats. She showed up first, followed by the boys. She gets the Fancy Feast; the boys get the commercial treats, until they're used up.
At least, I think she figured out lunchtime. She may just be running in and out, hoping for a treat each time she comes in. She's really, really smart, so over the next few days, she'll sort it out.
Great. Then we'll live by three feline clocks....
At the moment, Bobbi and Spot are chasing each other back and forth on the drive. Alex is taking his noon nap. For a house with an elderly but very active cat, an overgrown adolescent cat, and an actual kitten, it's pretty laid back.
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computerbug
Sarasota
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Joined: 07/17/2005
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I loved to see some pics of the crew and I'm sure everyone else would. We had a rough 2010, we lost our 17 yr. old diabete cat and our 18 yr. old scottie mix. We swore no more, never again but when you live by a Cat clock and a dog snore you start to say maybe. Well I kept reading all these pet posts; the ups and downs the happy and sad. Friend called to say they found a dog that had been left in an apt. at least for 3 days could we help find someone to take her. Guess who? Went to drop off some food at the humane soc. and thought I'd take a peek at some of the owner turn in's. Wellll their were 2 kittens that looked like one big cat, (Nobody adopts blk cats) Do I have to finish the story. DH thought I was crazy, the kids just laughed and the rescue dog wanted to eat them. Well that was 6 mos. ago and this house and RV is like a circus. Hope the post wasn't too long. Cathie
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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I love black cats, Cathie. We had nothing but black, or tuxedo, cats for years. Then we had two tabbies, a gray, and now just two tuxedos and Spot.
As for photos, we haven't gotten the three of them together - Alex is not about to pose with them. But here are some candid shots:
Alex
![[image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/wanderlosters/AlexandertheGrrreat.jpg)
Bobbi
![[image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/wanderlosters/PICT0073.jpg)
Spot
![[image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/wanderlosters/PICT0004.jpg)
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Here are Spot and Bobbi the day it actually snowed here in the Texas Hill Country:
![[image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v211/wanderlosters/SpotandBobbi4Feb.jpg)
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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There's a new kitty around. We've only caught glimpses, but we think it's a gray and white tabby. It's trying to challenge Spot over whose terrain our meadow is, and he's not having it.
Poor guy can see out of every door in the house except the laundry room, so he's taken up a guard station on the rug by that door. Meanwhile, the black cat and the gray one do not appear to have discovered each other yet.
Bobbi was on the north porch night before last, growling. I've no idea which cat it was, but she was not happy.
Between cats and the gray fox, it seems we're a major transit point for small predators. Good thing the barn swallows are out of reach.
Meanwhile, we were at my sister's house last night, when her son's kitten swallowed a sewing needle -- nephew saw it and panicked. We took the kitten to an emergency clinic, and they were able to remove it from his stomach without surgery, but it did make for a very long night. He's just fine today; his owner not so much. Nephew was absolutely terrified that his kitten was going to die right there, so now he's a little clingy. Luckily, the kitten's happy to be a lap cat today.
My sister thought she was done with baby and child proofing, but this kitten's determined to taste everything, so once again she has to seal up the place.
I am so very glad that Bobbi only eats cat food and the occasional grass sprig. She's utterly appalled at the thought of tasting anything else.
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Code2High
One hour past Nowhere, CA
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Joined: 12/21/2004
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Wow.... that had to be an alarming sight! Glad everything came out okay...
Sounds like you've got a bit of an issue with irresponsible cat owners in your vicinity.
susan
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a wabbit, Fuzzy Wuzzy had a dandelion habit! RIP little Wuz... don't go far.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Code2High wrote:Sounds like you've got a bit of an issue with irresponsible cat owners in your vicinity.
Well, we are in the country...
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