Tales of Seven

Cat Tips and Tricks

I've had cats for over 12 years and with two cats that started their lives in shelters and on the streets, I've had to manage a number of behavior issues. I've gathered many ideas from books, other cat owners and my own experiementation. Here are a few that really worked for me!

• Biting, clawing and scratching you and your friends - Too much energy or pure vengeance, I found the best way to handle this is through a diversion tactic. Never play with the cat with your hands. Get a toy out and wear the creature down.
• Clawing the things you love – Scratching is natural behavior and if cats don’t have another option, your furniture will meet a sad and undignified end. Get a tall scratching post (so they can stretch out) that is sturdy (so they can really dig in). Provide a lot of positive reinforcement when it’s used (verbal, treats, catnip, playtime). When you first get it, you may need to physically move the cat to it from your furniture, then reward, reward, reward. They’ll soon prefer the scratching post as the ‘in place’ to be.
• Knocking things off counters, beating up other animals in the house and other destructive behavior, Part II - It’s possible they’re bored. Make life a little more interesting. I sometimes float toys in water in the sink, leave random treats around the house, or leave newspapers or bags out on the floor for play. I'll also put holes in a Pounce can and leave a few treats inside. The cats love to try to get the treats out.
• Overeating. My cats have to have steady access to food due to medical issues. But they were getting fatter and fatter. So I now make them work for their food. I keep food in a bin that they must open with their paws. They eat less and expend more energy each time they eat. I also give them diet food. They now have nice, trim figures.
• And a note on litter boxes - A couple of things seem to make cats happy here. Get a bigger box. You can use a Home Depot storage bin and cut out a door on one side. And put the box somewhere safe. It should allow a visual on incoming traffic and an escape route.
• And for comfort – a tip on ‘lifts’ - Pick your cat up by sliding one hand between its two front legs to support the front end, and use your second hand to support the back. This is much more comfortable than the typical method of lifting them with hands around their chest.

Part Time Detective

While volunteering nearly full time at a wildlife hospital last summer, one of the areas that intrigued me most was lab work. Analysis of blood samples represented a type of fascinating puzzle.

While not at all trained to diagnose the animals, we were trained to find and report on the 'clues' that would help the vet do the diagnosis. Here are just a handful of the things we would seek:

• The ratio of white blood cells to red blood cells and plasma. (an overabundance of white blood cells is a sign the body is fighting illness)
• Plasma clarity (should be totally clear. Yellowing is usually a sign of illness)
• The proportion of red blood cells to the many various types of white blood cells. (We counted cells in a small portion of the sample to determine if the balance was as expected.)
• The presence of bacteria or parasites
• The proportion of cells at different levels of ‘maturity’ (indicating whether the body is producing enough  new cells)
• The shape and texture of cells (indicating cell health)

There's nothing quite like looking into a microscope and being able to see just a little piece of the inner workings of a living thing.

Cat Happy

This is Feliway...

...And these are your cats on Feliway.

The 'Glade Plug-in' of the cat world, this device puts out 'happy pheromones' that truly make cats feel great about the world. I used this to help my cats adapt to a smaller apartment and it was (as you can see) quite effective.

 

Golden Gate Bridge Revisited

Because it's just so beautiful, I can't help but share another picture of Golden Gate bridge.

The view from my window tonight.

The Value of One?

We were wandering around the Yves Saint Laurent Gardens in Morocco when we came upon a tiny kitten that was skin and bones, cold, dehydrated, and unmoving. Leaving this tiny creature, when we had the opportunity to do something for it, would have been unconscionable. I tucked the creature into a large purse, and then took him back to our hotel. After just a few days of care, he was energetic and had a full, round  tummy. He was well enough to take to a comfortable, local animal shelter.

In looking at how we might ‘give back’, I see three levels of opportunity.

• We may influence change through laws, regulation, and policy. The impacts can be large and widespread.
• We may give contributions of money and time to groups dedicated to improving some piece of the world. The effect is often more 'regional'.
• Lastly, we may do something at an individual level, working to fix those things that are 'wrong' right in front of our eyes.

With such a huge population of us out there, I have to think that the third category could be as impactful and important as the first two -- that it's worth having each of us reach out and try to make some small impact as individuals, knowing that the collective impact of all our efforts would affect real change.

A picture of the kitten as we first found him is below.

Antarctica Slide Show

I've attempted a first slide show for one of my trips. The widget is still a bit quirky on my screen, but I'm hoping to sort through the issues over the next couple of days. The slide show (top left corner of my blog) shows pictures from my trip to Antarctica in March 2005. Be sure to have your volume on for the music :)!

A History with Horses

When I was 7 years old, and barely reached the underbelly of a horse, I began one of the few sports that had a lasting interest for me; horseback riding. From years in the U.S. Pony Club, through summer work at ranches, to the Intercollegiate Horse Show circuit, and ultimately ownership of my own horse, the sport has endured in my life.

Why? There is the smell of hay and freshly oiled leather, the squeak of the saddle, nickers in the barn, and riding in the silence of the early morning with no sound but the steady breath of the horse. These and other little things make me feel a sense of calm and peace around horses.

And then there is the riding itself. There's no doubt that it's amazing exercise, but every once in a while, we find that perfect balance, perfect energy, and perfect agreement with the horse. It's a weightless and magic moment that compels us to keep riding.

Vermeer, my horse from 2000-2003, is shown below. He was a 6 year-old Dutch Hannoverian Gelding, 17 hands tall. Left: taking a break at a dressage show. Right: early morning hack at the stable.

Fall in the Adirondacks

pumpkin orange, cranberry red, celery green and mustard yellow

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maple syrup taps, roadside pumpkin stands, big sweaters, apple harvest, roasted chestnuts

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crunchy leaves underfoot, fireplace warmth, morning frost, the anticipation of winter in the air

 

 

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Colors and memories of my favorite season

                               

Trapped in Doolin, Ireland

Gale force winds. A long weekend. No where for a hitchhiker to go.

I was trapped in Doolin, a tiny little outpost of a town on the west coast of Ireland - population 60 (recent growth gives it a population 600 today). Known to be the cradle of traditional Irish music, I went there to hear some of the most renowned Irish musicians on their home turf, and spent hours soaking up the music. Guinness beer (entirely different than the Guinness sold here) was a must accessory. Twice daily, I’d fight my way to the pub.

The rest of the time, I was marooned in the local hostel with an entire troupe of Morris dancers. If you’ve never seen Morris dance, it’s a traditional folk dance, danced to fiddle music, that makes use of swords, sticks and flags. It was a merry time of music, dance, and beer, with all of us pulled into the dancing along the way. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_dance

Nearby areas of interest:

The Aran Islands Reachable by small boat, bike along the length of the island to see ancient churches and graveyards, miles and miles of piled stone fences, and cliffs hollowed out by the ocean. A tremendous roar can be heard along much of the island from the waves going into the caves. All the local farmers make a point to say hello and chat.

Cliffs of Moher These are some of the tallest cliffs in Europe . If it's not foggy, you might just see them!

The Burren These otherworldly ‘plains of rock’ make for interesting hikes.

Scenic Canyons  Take a ride on horseback into some of the local canyons, but buyer beware. I’ve been riding since I was seven and had the ride of my life up one of these canyons. My horse was young, untrained, and skittish. We inadvertently jumped a stone fence, and had a freak out with every passing flock of sheep. I thought it was a great little adventure, but if you're a new rider, go for the older-looking horse with one hoof in the grave ;). It will be a bit more relaxing.

San Francisco Nights

And the same view at night. 3am in San Francisco.

...... not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.