Let me set the scene for you.

I have a spare bedroom which is the litter box room. I have four litter boxes in it, spaced out. Three have pine litter, which I scoop into a biodegradable bag, and one has clay litter. When I scoop the boxes, I carry the appropriate bag over to the box, scoop, move on to the next box and then when I’m done, return the bag to the area with the bags and scoopers.

So, last night I’m cleaning the litter boxes. I scoop the clay one, then go to do the pine ones. I scoop the first one, carry the bag across the room, scoop the second one, and box three is unused so I skip it and return the bag to the bag area. So far so good.

The, I turn around and notice there’s a pee clump sitting on the floor.

Okay, I think, I put the bag on the floor when I scoop – I must have dropped the clump on the edge of the bag and it rolled out when I picked it up. So I grab the scooper, grab the bag and go to clean up the pee clump. So far so good.

Then, as I go to put the bag away again, I notice there’s a pile of litter on the floor near litter box number one. Hmm, I think, how did I miss that? But okay, I grab the bag and scoop and clean that one up as well, and back goes the bag.

As I’m putting the bag down, I notice that there’s an awful lot of litter and a couple of pieces of poop in the spot where I store the bag. Hmmmmmm…

I lift up the bag to look at it and dirty litter comes pouring out the gigantic tear in the bottom. I look to the spots I just cleaned up and gee, what a surprise… I’ve left a lovely trail of litter behind me as I’ve moved from place to place to clean up.

Some how, in my exhaustion, I managed to not notice that I was leaving a trail of litter behind me as I moved around this small room. A second bag and some midnight vacuuming later and all was restored to order, but I can tell you, I’ll be making a point of cleaning the boxes before I’m feeling quite that sleep deprived in the future.

I love a good bed cat, and I’m fortunate that I have three. All of my girls pack onto the bed with me, sleeping on me, under the covers or next to me.

When we first got Violet, she wasn’t allowed in the bedroom. My husband is allergic to cats, and the bedroom was going to be the one cat-free space in the apartment.

Fortunately, his will crumbled before mine did, and Violet had soon insinuated herself onto the bed, sleeping between us (and having occasional night time adventures across the top of the headboard.) By the time we got the other two, cats were an established fixture in the bed, and I’d never go back.

I’m not sure exactly what it is about bed cats. There’s something extremely soothing and relaxing about being surrounded by cats while you sleep. And it’s not that I generally enjoy being touched or restricted in my movements at night – drape your arm over me while I sleep and I’ll fidget in discomfort until you move it or till I shove it off. But pin me down with cats so that I can’t move a single limb, much less change position and I’ll happily stay in bed long after I had planned to get up.

Sleeping with cats is special. It’s comfortable and loving and adds another dimension to the relationship we have with our cats – they love us and trust us and grace us with their presence. I intuitively feel the value in this gift they give and I deeply appreciate it. I know they could easily fall asleep anywhere else – on the couch, on the pile of reusable grocery bags in the corner, in my laundry pile, in the middle of the kitchen floor… but they choose to sleep with me.

Do you let your cats sleep in the bed with you? Are they cuddlers or do they prefer to find their own sleeping spaces? Do you have cats that go under the covers?

It’s spring time, which means shedding, lots of shedding. And shedding means brushing. So this weekend all the girls got thoroughly brushed and I ended up with a rather massive ball of cat hair (which is good – it’s a massive ball of cat hair that isn’t on my couch or clothes.)

My three cats are indoor cats, but I’ve been taking them outside for some supervised romps in the back yard, for fresh air and exercise, which they absolutely love. I herd them around the yard and keep them from wandering off the property, and they run, play, explore and exercise their catness.

Normally I throw my mats of cat hair into the compost bin, but in discussing ways to be eco friendly cat owners, Ingrid of Conscious Cat suggested letting the cat hair fly free for the bird to use in nests. What a great idea! So this is what I decided to do.

I took the girls outside and pulled little tufts of hair off the ball and let them loose in the wind. Well, I’m sure the birds will enjoy them eventually, but the cats got an immediate serendipitous treat. Little bits of cat hair, flying around in the wind make for fabulous hunting and chasing.

I stood up-wind of the cats and let a few bits go every time there was a good strong breeze. The cats chased the fast moving pieces, and got in some really good stalking and pouncing of the ones stuck on grasses or just vibrating on the ground. It was great fun for everyone and the cats got a great workout. They all play well with their toys in the house, but there’s nothing quite as exciting as something that moves and flies around on its own. We must have spent an hour out there enjoying the wind and the fruits of our grooming session.

If you have a windy day, a ball of cat hair and an enclosed yard (or a cat you know won’t go wandering) I highly recommend partaking in this fun activity.

One of the things I enjoy most about having cats is watching them play. Clover in particular has the most amazing imagination, which is really evident in her play.

We might think of imagination as being a human trait, but it’s very evident that Clover’s imagination gives life to her toys. When she really gets going the toys seem to move with a life of their own. She’ll throw one up into the air and then leap after it; kick it away with a back paw and then dart after it as it tries to make its escape; kick, bite and struggle like it’s putting up a fight and fling it along the floor so that she can stalk and catch it unawares.

Watching the cats play together or playing with them myself brings me a great deal of pleasure, but watching Clover’s solo play is a genuine treat. It’s amazing to watch her creativity and imagination and it’s really clear that she’s having a great deal of fun.

Do your cats enjoy solo play and active imaginations?

Well, we went to the vet over the weekend, Violet on Saturday, Cajun on Sunday. Overall both trips went well.

Violet at the vet

Violet was wonderful in the car, as usual, but was a little stressed out in the waiting room. She doesn’t mind other cats but she hates dogs – really hates them, and the waiting room was just packed with dogs, including one that was parked right next to the door when we walked in. I’ve never seen the place so busy before. It was difficult to find a quiet spot to sit, so there was no exploring, but she did sit quietly in my lap while we waited. There was a bit of puffing but strong reactions otherwise.

The stress from the dog-filled waiting room carried over to the exam room and she was none to pleased to have the vet poking around her bum. We had a few hisses but other than that she was very good. Good news is that her bottom is fine – her anal glands look clear and didn’t need expressing, which is just as well. I’m sure that would not have improved Violet’s mood.It was an expensive trip to find out that she’s perfectly fine, but well worth it. I got a very informative lesson from the vet about anal glands, which I didn’t know too much about (they’re not something I’ve ever had to deal with before.)

As soon as we got back out to the car she settled right down. Nothing like familiar territory to relax a cat. We went grocery shopping on the way home (well I did – Violet napped in the car while I was in the store) and then came home.

Cajun at the vet

Cajun was also very good in the car. She rested quietly in her carrier the whole trip.

Fortunately, the waiting room was a lot quieter on Sunday. She did some investigating our corner of the room and sat on the window sill, watching the parking lot.

She’s lost a few ounces since her last visit, so I’ll be upping her food intake a bit. She’s still feeling pretty muscular around her back, which is good, but she could use a little more fat on her. She loves her food and eats as much as Violet and Clover, who are about three pounds heavier than her. Asked about the possibility of hyperthyroidism, but the vet didn’t think it was likely, as her heart beat is good and she’s very young.

Her ear is also looking great too – she had a chronic ear infection for about nine months which persisted despite repeated treatment. We finally got rid of it with an aggressive run of oral antibiotics and ear drops, and it doesn’t look like it’s coming back (knock on wood.)

She still has mild conjunctivitis in her one eye (which was the reason for the visit.) We’ve tried BNP and tetracycline, and now we’re on a week of erythromycin which will hopefully clear it up. Just in case, we’re also doing a virus panel, since the conjunctivitis has been stubborn.

I’m very fortunate that Cajun is a very cooperative cat. She’s gotten more feisty as her health has improved, but she still lets me tend to her her without any trouble. Since I’ve brought her home she’s had her teeth brushed regularly, been on daily pills for a month, been on ear drops for over a month, and eye ointment for weeks. She’s also pretty good about brushing and claw clipping (except for one paw, which I suspect was injured at some point.)

Anyway, we got our meds and directions to call in a week, then came home. Cajun hung out under the back seat on the ride home but came out easily. We’ve just started the new eye meds so it’s a little early to see results, but I’ll keep you updated.

Planning for next time

I think next time I’ll try and avoid scheduling appointments on Saturday, though weekend appointments are better for me, as I don’t have to miss work for them. I think though, it’d be better to miss a half hour of work and avoid the super crowded waiting room. Too many dogs made Violet’s visit more stressful than it needed to be. Hopefully there won’t be a need for any more vet visits for a while though – other than Cajun’s eye, everyone seems to be in good health.

Today was Bart’s last day. It went much like Tiger’s, with a little visit outside and then a calm ride to the vet. The vet examined him – we we’re as sure as we were with Tiger that it was his time, and Bart has been accident prone and sick off and on throughout his life, but was also incredibly tough and resilient. In the end my mum and brother decided that it was the right time to let him go. He’d had incontinence and chronic pain (managed with meds) from a condition that the vets weren’t able to diagnose but had lately started to deteriorate further. The vet also believes that he was blind (he was very sick last year and had some problems with his eyes at the time) though we never would have guessed – he navigated the house so perfectly, jumping on the furniture, moving around the rooms and chasing the other cats, if his senses were diminished at all it never showed.

Bart was a very fine and special cat, and came to us in a special way. One day my father reached behind a shelf in our house to plug in the fax machine and discovered a tiny ball of fur. Bart’s mother Rosette, a stray in the neighbourhood, snuck into our house and gave birth to her single kitten in our office. They lived outside in our yard until we made the decision to adopt them and bring them inside.  Bart was a tiny, adorable kitten with a little triangle shaped tail – we never would have guessed that he would grow into the longest, skinniest cat I’ve ever met.

Aside from his mother, Bart was never fond of other cats, but he loved people. He was always extremely affectionate, cuddling, purring, laying in your lap and climbing under the blankets with you. He was the perfect bed cat. When he really got relaxed and happy he would purr like an engine and drool like crazy.

He was always an energetic and daring cat, but extremely accident prone. If cats have nine lives, he certainly took advantage of the supply. He loved climbing trees and leaping on to roof tops, and would often travel to the roofs of the neighbours’ homes. He would go onto the sunroom roof and then paw at the bedroom windows asking to be let inside. With all his antics he incurred a few injuries, including tearing off a dew claw. We were extremely lucky not to lose him in another accident – we found him one day laying prone on our back porch, with the other cats sitting around him. Some how he’d managed to drag himself up the stairs with a shattered pelvis (the vet suspected a car accident.) He surprised us many times throughout his life with how tough and brave he was.

Bart was our sweet, handsome boy. We enjoyed 14 great years with him, though it was not long enough. We love him and will miss him very much.

(Unfortunately I’m short on pictures of Bart on this computer.)

Tiger went to the Rainbow Bridge today. He spent his last day sleeping on the bed with Lili, went outside with my mum for a bit and then had a calm, quiet ride to the vet. Laying on a blanket, he was given a sedative and then the final injection. It was all very peaceful and quick. My mum took him home to be cremated at a later date. It looks like he may have been developing oral cancer on top of his other medical issues (arthritis and renal failure) so it was definitely the kind, humane thing to do.

He’ll be very much missed – Tiger was a handsome and sweet cat, devoted to his mum and with a gentle temperament. He loved being brushed, having his tummy rubbed and sleeping under the covers with mum. While he fiercely defended his territory from strange cats (and had the battle scars to prove it) once he’d accepted a new cat into the house he had infinite patience for them, even tolerating swats and ear biting from Bart.

As a stray kitten he was so painfully shy and fearful. Without his bold sister Cali to lead the way, he may never have even gotten up the courage to come out of hiding and eat the food we put out. When it started to get cold, we had to trap him to bring him inside, as he wouldn’t let anyone near him. He spent several weeks hiding in the basement before we were finally able to coax him out enough to have contact with him. He retained his cautious nature around new people, but once you had his trust he would shower you with affection.

Tiger was one of the first cats to join our family. He taught us a great deal about living with and caring for cats, put up with our mistakes and helped make us better cat owners.

We love you and we”ll miss you Tiger. Thank you for sharing your life with us for 17 wonderful years.

I was writing a post about cat litter, but I got a call from my mum tonight which makes me very, very sad.

Two of the cats I grew up with, Tiger (17) & Bart (14) will be going to the Rainbow Bridge this week. Appointments with the vet are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Tiger and Bart’s health has been deteriorating over the last few months, Tiger with arthritis, renal failure and a problem with his mouth; Bart with a condition that the vets have been unable to diagnose, causing pain and incontinence. Both have been on medication for pain management and had been maintaining quality of life pretty well, with even some intermittent improvements in health. But, quality of life is starting to deteriorate and pain management isn’t enough any more.

We’ve known that this was coming for a while, and was just a matter of time, but it’s still extremely hard. Bart and Tiger have been a part of the family for most of my life. I haven’t lived at home for quite  few years now, but it’s going to be difficult not having them around when I visit on holidays. I’m sure it will be much harder for my brothers and my mother, who are accustomed to seeing them every day, especially for my mother – she’s the centre of the cats’ universe, following her around, cuddling at night and sharing affection.

At the end of your pet’s life, it helps to know that you’re doing the right thing for them. Much as we will miss them, and much as it hurts, it is the right and selfless thing to do. Relieving their suffering even if it increases your our and being there with them at the end is one of the finest acts of compassion we can perform, and we owe them that much. For their years of unconditional love, for being there when we needed them, for teaching us to be better people and for putting their trust in us to take care of them.

We’ve been fortunate to have them around for this long – we never expected Bart to last through Christmas, but he’s a tough little guy and apparently had a few more months in him. I’m ever so grateful that I was able to see both of them during the holidays. I wish I could be there now, for Bart and Tiger and for the rest of the family. This loss will be much more immediate and real for them. All I can do is be there emotionally for my family and help them make Bart and Tiger’s last few days as happy and comfortable as possible.

Hard as this is, I am glad we have the means to give our pets a good death at the end of their lives. Having to watch them suffer would exponentially increase the pain of saying good bye.

I’ll get back to blogging about cat litter and other fun topics soon. In the mean time, I’m going to go have a good cry, get some sleep and probably revisit this again tomorrow.

Yesterday morning I was feeling sick, so I slept in. Normally I’m up shortly before 9am, I feed the cats and then go to work. This routine breaks down on the weekends, but during the week the cats expect breakfast.

Since breakfast was becoming more and more delayed because of my sleeping in, Violet decided that she was going to get me up. First, she came in and wandered around the room chirping. When that wasn’t working she emptied the garbage bin onto the floor and pulled out a plastic bag to crinkle. Loud enough to be disturbing but it just wasn’t quite enough to get me out of bed.

I was clearly being stubborn about staying in bed, and breakfast wasn’t serving itself, so Violet upped the ante.

Ever been woken up by a cat dumping cold water all over you? If not, consider yourself fortunate, because it was just about the most shocking thing ever. Violet pushed a large cup of water off the headboard and on to my head, thoroughly soaking me and the bed. Well, I wasn’t going back to sleep, so I got up, put on some dry clothes and a few minutes later, breakfast was served.

I think I may have set a bad precedent, though… this morning I also over slept and woke up just in time to catch Violet trying once again to push my cup of water on to my head.

So, don’t ever tell me that cats are untrainable – they learn all too fast which actions create the results they desire. We humans on the other hand might be a little slower to catch on, and by the time we realize what kind of lessons our cats have learned, it may be a challenge to get them to unlearn them.

Having cats around seem to make everything more enjoyable, but nothing goes  from boring to entertaining with the addition of a cat (or two) like making the bed.

Violet and Clover always join me for this activity and we have a great time making the bed. The sheets become giant moving cat toys as I shake them out over the bed and they will  pounce and stalk and scamble on their bellies to catch the sheet.

Violet likes to stay under the sheets as I make the bed.  She’ll crawl around and Clover will go on top of the covers for some good chasing and pouncing action. The have a great time wrestling through the sheets. Some times I’ll toss Clover under so that Violet can chase her around for a bit.

Alone, making the bed is a boring chore, but add in the cats and we all have a great time. They’re hilarious and adorable and add a wonderful element of fun to things.

How do cats add joy to your daily routine?