How Not To Catch a Mouse

Today's blog is not about cats. Too tired from too much shovelling snow and having to remove 2 inches of ice that had totally encased my car to write anything new. So I am putting in an article I wrote about a month ago, entitled How Not to Catch a Mouse - and yes, it is a true story.

Some years ago I looked up from my dining room table into the kitchen and saw a mouse strolling along the kitchen counter. My dilemma: I wanted him out of my apartment, but I didn’t want to kill him. I wanted him to either leave my apartment, never to return, or, I had to catch him and move him elsewhere. The following were my not so brilliant solutions to the problem.

Action #1 – Buy spackle. Find Mouse hole. Fill with spackle
A word of advice.
Be sure the mouse is on the other side of the mouse hole before you fill it in.Half an hour after I went to bed – this was a studio apt, I heard wild, desperate scratching. Thinking the mouse was undoing all my careful plastering trying to get back in, I crawled to the mouse hole in the kitchen ready to smack him when he stuck his head out. What I saw was a mouse on this side of the hole trying to get back home. And yes, I did have to remove the plaster so the mouse could go home.

Action #2 – Corner Mouse, Put in Bag, Take to the Park
A word of caution.
Young mice chase each other around for fun. If you have a young mouse, you may just be getting a new best friend.
I spent 2 hours chasing the mouse, and then gave up exhausted. As I lay on the sofa I watched the mouse sidle along the wall, look down the hall and when he didn’t see me there, he strolled into the living room area, sat down and proceeded to give himself a wash, in front of me. Running does work up a sweat.

Action #3 – Sit Outside Mouse Hole with a Spray Bottle of Water. Blast Him With Water When He Sticks his Head Out.
A forewarning. You can be hypnotized by a mouse. Or is it just me?
I sat waiting by the mouse hole with my spray bottle aimed and ready. He stuck his head out the hole and immediately back in. He did this a couple of times and then quickly slipped his whole body out and walked towards me. I froze, totally. He then sat down in front of me and stared up into my eyes. And there we were. Staring at each other. Me a stone statue, he relaxed. Unable to move or take my eyes off him, I started to consider – he really was kind of cute, he had beautiful eyes, big, black, and such a sweet little face. Then a voice in my head said “What are you doing? You don’t think mice are cute. He’s hypnotizing you.” I crumpled to the floor. The mouse ran back into his hole. I cried. I had just gone into combat with an unarmed mouse, and the mouse won.

Action #4 – Plaster all areas along the floor. Tape cupboards doors shut in case he comes up pipe openings.
Do not do this. You may have to rescue the mouse.
He did come up the pipes. The tape didn’t keep one of the cupboard door totally closed – or I didn’t close it properly. The mouse got stuck to the tape, and the tape was stuck to the cupboard door. He screamed. It was 3 am. I had to pull the tape off him, taking a fair bit of mouse hair with it. He screamed the whole time. When he was finally freed from the tape, he ran, never to return. I stopped trembling 4 hours later.

I now live with several cats. No mouse ever comes near my house.

Stray Cat Problem

I live in a small town (under 20,000) in a rural area, with a very small Humane Society and a very large stray cat problem.

Recently there was an article in our local paper about this problem and quoting the operations manager of our Humane Society as saying “if you’ve been feeding a stray cat at your house all summer, it’s yours.” According to this gentleman, the shelter is overrun with cats and he is trying to put out the message that the shelter is not a drop-off centre for strays. He states that people feed stray cats during the summer but want the Humane Society to take the cats in when winter comes and that is not how it works. This is in Canada where a cat left out in the cold could easily freeze to death.

Quite a few people here have been doing just that, feeding stray and abandoned cats all summer long. In some of my earlier blogs, I wrote about how I came to adopt my newest cat Tiger,(lovely boy in photo above) after trying to get the Humane Society to take him in.

This gentleman also went on to blame the lack of spaying and neutering for most of the problems. Of course this is true. What he doesn’t address is the fact that there are no low-cost spay/neuter clinics in this town. They (the Humane Society) don’t offer it, nor do any of the vets here. When you take in the cat you can’t just get him spay/neutered, by law he also had to be vaccinated for rabies, as well as all the other shots and tests. You will be faced with a minimum $500.00 bill. It seems that, in this town, low-income people are not supposed to have pets.

So here we are with winter weather fast approaching; it’s getting colder everyday and there have already been a few flurries. I have been searching all over the web looking at ideas other people have come up with to help the abandoned cats in their area.

The problem is not just giving them shelter, but keeping the snow out, and keeping it warm enough inside. We have an area that can be blocked off with tarps or space blankets to provide some shelter from the wind. The area is not big enough to put in bales of hay, which seems to be the most recommended way of providing warmth and protection. I have seen a product called the self-heating cat bed which I’m seriously considering as it is not too expensive. The most appealing item is a Microwave Disc that is heated and then inserted between blankets and will provide up to 12 hours of heat, depending on conditions. It sounds just about right, but pricey. It’s the best I have seen so far.

Tiger the Terrific, Tiger the Terrible

It’s been almost a month now since Tiger got neutered. It has made a huge difference. The spraying has stopped – his and Max’s. The wailing and fights have lessened, although there are still some fur flying episodes.

Tiger seems to have age regressed since getting fixed. He is now 10 months old but acts even younger than when he first came. He zooms everywhere, jumps on everything, will play with his toys for hours.

He has not endeared himself to the other animals in the house because of his tail fetish. Dog’s tails, cats’ tails, he doesn’t care, he attacks them. He is either crouched on top of something ready to jump on the tail of any unsuspecting animal walking underneath or sneaking up behind them to grab their tail and then run. The dogs are now afraid of him, and the other cats snarl.

A few times the other cats have gotten close to him, but only when he is sleeping. Luna has allowed him to lie on the bed with her – as long as he stays at the other end, and Max has joined him on the back of the sofa. So there is hope for peace in the future.

Tiger is now in harness training. He fights like mad when I’m putting him in his harness. But as soon as it’s on, he’s ready to go outside. At first, it was 2 steps, fall down, 2 steps, fall down. But all the wonderful smells of whatever it is cats can smell, and fresh grass to eat, it soon makes him forget he’s on a leash and we have a slow wander around the backyard.

As Tiger grows and he is now twice the size he was when I first brought him in, his coloring is changing. The brown has become lighter and the grey color much more pronounced. He is a very sweet, very pretty cat who loves cuddling and giving kisses. He’s still a brat, and he’s still lovely.

Giving Thanks

For my beautiful Luna who has been my constant companion for the past 6 1/2 years.

For my newest cat Tiger, who is always ready with kisses.

For the conservation area that is just 10 mins away. It has a myriad of trails; the meadow walk, the cedar walk, the boardwalk, just to name a few. I can take the dogs, my friends and myself and it is always safe, peaceful and interesting.

Most of all, I am thankful for the good health that allows me to enjoy the cats, and take the walks. Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving.

How Your Cats Train You to Obey

Simple Cat Sign Language
I have been trained by 5 cats over the past 10 years. They all used the same basic sign language method of training. Of course, there are many variations to the method. It all depends on how fast a learner you are and/or on how fast you complied with their requests. These are the 4 basic communications.

Teaching the Human “I Want Food Now”

1. Stand or sit close to human and stare at them until they look at you, then lick your lips to indicate you are ready to eat.
2. Jump on human and lick their lips.
3. Jump on human and bite their lips.

In all cases, follow up by immediately leading them to your preferred eating place.

Telling the Human “It’s Time to Wake Up”

1. Sit on bed and stare at them until they open their eyes.
2. Sit on human and stare at them until open their eyes.
3. Lick the human’s lips or eyelids until they wake up.
4. Sit on human and give them a few good smacks across face – claws kept in.
5. If none of the above work–carefully insert one claw inside human’s nose and press down.

In all cases, follow up by immediately leading them to your preferred eating place.

Letting the Human Know “I’m Unhappy with You”

1. Refuse to acknowledge them.
2. If they look at you, turn your back on them.
3. If they touch you, get up and move away.
4. Indicate that you are hungry and then refuse your food.
5. Shred something that belongs to them.
6. Beat up dogs – if available.

Telling the Human “I Like You”

1. Sit beside them.
2. Curl up on their lap.
3. Rub head on them.
4. Lift head, look them in the eye, and indicate that you will allow yourself to be kissed.
5. Present them with a mouse (dead or alive) – if available.

There are pros and cons to learning what your cat is telling you. On the one hand it makes life simpler when you know what it is your cat wants. On the other hand, once your cat has you trained in the basics and knows that you are trainable, she will continue the instruction. You will be in training for life.

Why the Water Pistol is My New Best Friend

It’s been nearly 3 weeks now since I decided to adopt Tiger, a lovely brown tabby. He is 8 months old and intact. He has had his shots and gets his booster this Wednesday. Then there is a 2 week wait before they will do the neuter. In the meantime, all is loud and stinky at my house. Max (the 5 year old neutered male) has not welcomed Tiger. He wails when Tiger comes near and Tiger is always coming near to him. I think he enjoys upsetting Max. There have been a few fur flying episodes, with Max the aggressor and the one who got the scratch across his nose. I have a water pistol handy at all times, one in every room in fact. At the end of a really bad day I don’t even have to use it, just show it to them and they both run.
Tiger is a friendly cat who wants to play. Unfortunately, neither Max nor Luna (7 year old female) wants to be around him. He keeps approaching Luna and gets hissed at for his trouble. He runs towards her hoping she will chase him and play, but she backs off, growls or hisses, and then turns her back on him.
We finally got a Feliway Plug-in for the living room. It hasn’t really kicked in yet, though Max does seem a little less tense when Tiger is in the same room. A couple of times he has even let Tiger walk past without yowling and smacking him. I’m hoping that’s not as good as it gets.
The worst of course is the smell, the constant cleaning, and the crawling around trying to find the source. Max started spraying as soon as Tiger was let in the house. The first week was the worst. Max has let up, but now Tiger has started. Not everyday, but enough to make you despair.
Anyway, Tiger has made himself at home, despite the other cats. I’m hoping that once he’s fixed, Max will accept him; or at least be able to ignore him.
The only quiet time is overnight. Tiger is shut in the sun room to sleep at night. It’s very comfortable in there, bit cushy chair to sleep in, water, food and litter box. But he hates being segregated; whines the whole time I’m carrying him out there. I’ve learned not to say “bedtime” because he runs and hides. That’s after he learned that running to my bed, curling up and pretending to be asleep wasn’t going to work.

Adopting Tiger - My Newest Cat

I live in an area where there are many street cats. Some of them have homes but are allowed to roam outside during the day. Most are abandoned – kicked out or left behind when their owners moved away. Twice a day we put out food for them.
Four months ago we took in a very friendly and beautiful 5 year old orange neutered tabby. He was badly wounded, with a big festering cut on his chest. It was expensive getting him treated, plus the vaccinations and worming. Max is lovely, lovable, and gets along well with the other cat and dogs.
About a month ago a small, skinny, unaltered male cat started coming regularly to eat. He had scars on his nose and at one point a big puffy eye. He always wanted to be held and cuddled.
I found out from some kids on my street that he had been their cat, that he was 8 months old, and that he had been kicked out of the house. They now had a dog instead.
I called the Humane Society – this cat needed to be taken care of, vaccinated, neutered and found a good home. If left out too much longer he would become afraid of people and other animals, and would no longer be very adoptable. That’s if he survived at all.
They wouldn’t take him. First because they were full up – they are a No Kill shelter, and very small. Secondly, because I know who the owners are (or had been), I can not be the one to bring him in. His owners would have to surrender him themselves. This was not going to happen. They had put him out and washed their hands of him.
The next evening he came to eat there was a big storm brewing and I brought him in and put him in the sunroom of the house with some food, water and a litter box. For the next 2 days, when he wasn’t eating, he was sleeping. Probably the first time in a month that he felt safe enough to have a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, we started emailing cat rescue groups telling them his story and trying to get help. I made it clear that I could not afford the cost of neutering, shots, worming etc., which would add up to about $600.00. It was sad; because he is a sweet, loving, beautiful cat that I would be glad to keep.
After a few days he was let into the main part of the house. The other 2 cats aren’t very happy about him. He follows them around. My female cat just tries to ignore him but Max is having major difficulties. He has started spraying, something he never did before, and whenever the young one (named Tiger) comes close to him he just wails.
One rescue group, ARK, offered to have all the necessary done for a very low cost, if I was willing to adopt him. He went for his shots today. In 3 weeks he gets the booster. By the end of September he should be fixed. I’m hoping (praying), that some of the problems with Max will go away once Tiger is neutered and less of a perceived threat.
I have read that Feliway Plug-ins do a good job of diffusing cat anxieties. No one in my small town carries it so I haven’t had a chance to try it. Until I can get the Feliway and Tiger gets fixed, I have started putting Rescue Remedy in their water and some behind Max’s ears, cleaning and deodorizing a lot, and keeping the windows wide open. Thank God its summer.
Anyway, that’s how I’ve acquired my latest cat. He’s a brat, and he’s adorable.

Three Keys to Courteous Cat Walking Behavior

You’ve bought your harness and leash and spent hours training your cat to accept them. Now you’re ready to hit the sidewalk, proudly walking your cat. And as with dogs, there are some rules of common courtesy, common sense, and safety when walking your cat. These are my top 3 rules of cat walking, learned from experience and listening to others.

FIRST, Not Everyone Loves Your Cat
My cat was one of the first cats in my area to be walked-- this was 6 years ago--and people pointed her out, came up to her, petted her and she loved it. She now has the firm belief that everyone on every street is there just to see her and she goes up to everyone.

But, there are people with allergies, people who are afraid of cats and people who just plain don’t like them.

I have learned to watch body language. If I see the person stiffen, look away, any small movement which suggests that they just want to get away from me and my cat, I hold her back.

If you can’t read their reaction, or are unsure, just ask. When I’ve asked “Will it bother you if my cat comes close?” some people say Yes, and we hold back until they pass by. Others say no, they are mostly surprised that my cat is coming up to them.

SECOND, No One Planted a Flower Bed for Your Cat’s Use
My cat was a goat in a former life. She loves eating grass, and also leaves of plants. In my yard, I know what plants are there and that they are safe – at least not fatal and that they have no chemicals on them. Even if you are walking in your own neighborhood and you know that no one sprays toxic chemicals, do not let your cat nibble on their plants. The plants themselves could be harmful. My neighbors don’t care if my cat chews the grass, but they would be very upset if I let her gnaw away on the flowers and plants that they’ve spent time and money carefully nurturing.

THIRD, Carry Dog Poop Pick-Up Bags and a Paper Towel
The cat I have now wouldn’t dream of going anywhere but in her own litter box. But she thinks nothing of puking up some of the grass she's been eating. If it’s on the sidewalk or anywhere people walk, I clean it up. I wouldn’t want to step in it, and neither does anyone else.

I have had a cat that much preferred to do her business outside in the yard and when we went for a walk, she nearly always took the opportunity to do a major job, always on someone else’s lawn or on the boulevard. After the first walk, and the first embarrassing surprise for me, we never again went out without the necessary supplies.

In summary, don’t let your cat abuse other people’s property, don’t assume everyone is thrilled to meet your cat (they should be, but…), and clean up after your cat when it’s necessary. Your neighbors will thank you.

Please visit my website: http://www.catsread2.info

My Ebay bookstore: http://stores.ebay.ca/Mycatsread

Keeping My Cat Safe - Part II

Adding The Leash

THE first time I clicked the leash onto the harness, she turned into a swayback. Once again she would barely move - that leash was soooo heavy. I didn't attempt to walk her, just left the leash attached to the harness and went away for 10-15 minutes.
DID that for a few days leaving the leash on longer each time, until she decided she could walk after all. That's when I picked up the leash and walked around the house with her.
IT wasn't fun.
THOSE walks indoors taught me some very important rules of walking a cat.

FIRST AND FOREMOST

ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS RULE

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER WALK AHEAD OF YOUR CAT

EVERY cat learns almost immediately that if she plants her front paws on the ground and stands firm or pulls back, the harness will come right over her head, and she's FREEEEEE!

SECOND RULE
FOR WHEN YOU FORGET THE FIRST RULE

And I did, many times. I'm a slow learner.

NEVER chase your cat, they will run, and they can run faster than you.

ALWAYS carry some of your cats favourite treats in your pocket. (My second cat's favourite treats were salmon or sardines. You can imagine what I smelled like.) We soon had the street to ourselves.
WALK TOWARDS THEM SLOWLY, offering them treats, and when they do finally respond, PRAISE LAVISHLY.

The progression.
Walk around the house.
Walk around the enclosed Backyard
Open the gate and let them decide if they wanted to go out to the street.

WHEN I opened the gate Luna stuck her tail straight up in the air and pranced out like a Queen. She then expected to be taken out every day.
WALKING a cat is nothing like walking a dog. When I walked the dog for half an hour we covered blocks. Walking Luna for the same length of time we barely made half a block. She was out to explore, eat grass, sniff something, move on, decide she better go back and sniff the same spot again, and again. Sometimes she decides she'll just sit down and watch the world go by. It can be really boring walking a cat.
WHEN I first started walking my cat, she was one of the few. People pointed her out and came over to pet her. She loved it.

AFTER a year or two I started noticing other cats in the neighbourhood, cats that had either been totally indoor cats and some that had been free to roam, walking around their front yard on a leash.
IN the beginning, my cats only went outside when I did, so that I could keep an eye on them. Later on, when I knew their habits, I would let them out when I was working in the kitchen where I could see the whole backyard and could just glance out the window to make sure all was well. Once when I went for walk I saw a cat that had been put out on a leash and then left unsupervised. He had decided to dig a hole to China in their front yard. It was huge, and he was systematically going round his creation making it bigger and bigger.
MULTIPLE cats on long ropes in the backyard means multiple entanglements. I've spent a lot of time untangling ropes. I wish I could find the picture I took of what looked like a giant spider's web in the back yard. The 3 cats had intertwined their ropes so many times and then all pulled in different directions. It was actually quite beautiful and a horror to get undone.

I have started a website with more information about keeping cats safe outdoors. Please have a look. http://www.catsread2.info/

My EBay bookstore: http://stores.ebay.ca/Mycatsread

Keeping My Cat Safe - Part I

Harness Training

Part I
THIS is my cat Luna, the first cat I trained to wear a harness. She will go for walks, or go outside in the backyard on a long leash - long enough that she can walk the whole perimeter of the yard.

LUNA is now 7 years old and has been wearing her harness outdoors since she was 8 months old.

WHEN I first got her - she had been passed around 3 owners before she found her permanent home - it was at the beginning of a cold Spring and she had no interest in going outside. I thought I had an indoors cat.

BY the time Summer weather rolled round, and with people coming in and out of the house, she was either wailing loudly to go out, trying to escape or actually making it out. That's when I decided to give harness training a try. For her - fresh air, exercise, new sights, interesting smells. For me - not having to listen to her constant whining, and letting her go outside without having to worry that she might get hit by a car.

SURPRISINGLY, the process was not as difficult as I had imagined. I read a lot before hand to familiarize myself with the process. She acted just the way I was told she would.

THE FIRST time I put the harness on her she flopped on the floor and went into "the dieing fish" routine. I was told that on the first day the harness should only be on for 5-10 minutes and during that time to give her a treat. This I did. She stopped flopping just long enough to eat the treat.

DAY 2 The harness stayed on for 20 minutes. She flopped, she crawled on her belly (couldn't I see she couldn't walk?) and she got many, many treats.

DAY 3. The harness stayed on for an hour. She lay on the floor not moving, she couldn't walk, couldn't move. I got a piece of chicken (her favourite) and walked into the living room with it. A miracle, she found she could just make it that far.

BY DAY 7 she was wearing the harness for a couple of hours at a time without even being aware of it.

THE SECOND cat who came to stay was about the same age as Luna when she went into training. The process was exactly the same

THE THIRD cat moved in at Christmas time. When Spring came round the other two cats started going outside. She would sit on the cat perch watching them get into their harness. One day she jumped down and sat in front of the door waiting her turn. Luckily I had extra harnesses, and she was fitted into one and out she went. No training involved.

I am now living in another part of the country. The last two cats live with my brother, they are inseparable - the cats I mean.

A friend has taken in an abandoned 6 year old male cat. He is lovely. Right now he seems happy to stay in the house - he was hurt and starving when he turned up at her door, and he may always stay an indoors cat. But just in case he gets the urge, he has started wearing a harness for an hour or two most days. He will be ready if he decides he wants to venture out.

My website: http://www.catsread2.info/

My EBay bookstore: http://stores.ebay.ca/Mycatsread