Conference misery::feline_v1

    Wow, sounds like my new little kitten.  
    Wicket follows me from room to room, but try and get 
    a little TLC from her, watch out! (I have a few scars 
    to show for wanting to love my newest addition.)
    
    Dazdee, my oldest, won't let Wicket up on the bed, 
    so in the middle of the night, I get to be in the
    middle of a cat fight.  Needless to say, neither 
    sleep with me now.
    
    I think once a cat or kitten is loveable, they will 
    always be loveable! Unfortunatly, my kitties only
    follow me around, but don't really like to cuddle.
    (Bummer)
    
    Katie
    
    

    Gee, sure sounds like a very normal kitty!  What would be even
    more fun for you and for your kit, would be a buddy the same
    age.  Try it - two can be twice more fun than one...
    
    Elaine (I only have 11)

    Sounds within the bounds of normal to me too.
    
    Drinking from a glass and watching TV are "normal", and did you
    know some cats train themselves to use a toilet.  If you'd like
    to encourage that, most pet shops have a device with catnip that
    you can put on the toilet seat to help in training your cat.
    
    Given the opportunity, many cats will drink out of a flushed toilet
    too, if the lid is left in the upright position.  Many owners forget
    to leave water out for their cats, which forces them to use their
    own resources.
    
    Most cats are opportunists, in about every way you can think of.
    
    Enjoy . . . the quality of your life will never be the same again.

    Your kitten sounds perfectly normal (for a feline) to me.  Some
    are more affectionate than others - each cat has his own personality
    and it seems that most seem uniquely strange.  I sleep with at least
    two of the three (their choice) - one pushing my head off the pillow
    (we have four pillows just because of him but he only wants the
    one I'm using - very generously leaves me a good 4 to 6 square inches).
    And the other one sleeps on top of me - when I roll over, he does
    a lumberjack log-rolling act and stays on top.  The pillow thief
    follows me everywhere - even when out for my daily walk (no matter
    how far I go or how long I walk).  I think he's part dog.  I agree
    that another kitten for company might be of benefit so yours doesn't
    get so lonesome when you are at work.
    
    Strange of not - just enjoy.
    
    Ellen
    

    Heh heh heh...I love to see another of us hooked!  Congratulations...
    you are now an official Kitty Mommy!  Your little on has adopted
    you as his Mom and looks to you to do just what his biological Mom
    did...feed him, cuddle him, and love him (usually in that order!).
    I think that he won't ever change, except he might eventually not
    need to sleep on your face!
    
    Wishing you happiness, wonder, and some sleep...you're hooked!
    
    Mary

    I agree.  You are hooked.  Isn't it fun?  I have three of my own
    and each is very unique.  
    
    Lightning is MY cat and is very affectionate.  She loves to drink
    from the sink in the bathroom and never drinks from her dish.  Her
    time with me is from 10:00 at night until whenever.  She is the
    one that sleeps with me under the covers.
    
    Deja is the baby of the family.  She is part Siamese and has the
    cry to proof it.  She is also very loving.  Her favorite habit is
    to climb under my robe (especially when I am wearing it) and she
    loves dog food.
    
    Star is my daughters cat and has had a very truamatic two years.
    She moved back in with us a few months ago (after making countless
    moves to places she wasn't happy.  Needless to say she was a very
    scared, defensive cat.  Lightning and her have had quite a few battles
    but they have now started to calm down.  It has taken a lot of patience
    to get Star to feel at home and to let us love her.  Now she also
    comes to the door to greet me when I come home.
    
    As you can see,  I am also a `Mommy' to three very different, unique
    cats.  I wouldn't part with them for anything.
    
    Good luck and welcome to the group.
    
    Sandi
    

    I agree with the other replies.  You're kitten sounds quite normal
    and quite a bit like my Sherlocke.  Sherlocke not only greets us
    at the door when we come home, he also sees us off in the morning.
    He drinks from a glass (almost drank some Scotch the other night
    thinking it was water).  Even has his own placemat for his food
    dish.  Sleeps with me (also likes my pillow and leaves me a tiny
    little corner).
    
    I guess most kittens are the same.  Anyone have a kitten who loves
    to unroll the toilet paper from the paper holder?  Sherlocke does!
    
    Ande
    
    (Currently "Mommy" to 2; used to have 8 plus 2 dogs, 2 gerbils,
    and a tank of fish)

    
    re .7
    
    Yes.  My kitties unroll the T.P.! They shred it first though, they take
    their claws and cut through the first 50 sheets, then proceed to unroll
    it part-way so it's a total mess hanging out of the holder and
    impossible to use!!  They only do this when they are upset (we've
    been out too late, gone for the weekend, or didn't scoop their litter
    box out!).  They must KNOW what a necessity it is - it's cruel and
    unusual punishment!!!  Then they sit around the corner as we enter
    the bathroom saying "heh heh heh..." to themselves.
    
    amy.

    re: .6
    
    Pip likes to grab one end of the TP in her mouth and then run thru
    the house with it, like a streamer. And if it tears off the roll,
    she starts all overagain with the new end. It was cute at first.
    Now, I have to explain to everyone why the TP in my bathroom sometimes
    is wrapped in a wash cloth fastened with a clothspin.
    
    Deb

                A sometimes solution is to hang the paper so that the
        end of the roll comes out the back of the bottom instead of over
        the top. Then remember not to leave the end hanging. That way,
        when the little beasts (uh... kitties) try to unroll it, it
        actually rolls up!
                
                /s/     Bob

    re .6:
    
    Spooky, who's almost 2 likes to claw at the toilet paper.  The holder
    is located over the litter box and he just loves to scratch at anything
    nearby except, of course, the litter.   If there's toilet paper
    too close to the litter, I'll find a pile of it clawed in the middle
    of the litter box!  It's really quite funny to watch Spooky scraatching
    at everything and looking around to see if his "duty" is covered
    up (which it hardly ever is).
    
    -Paula
    

    When Angelica was alive, she used to chew it with her back and side
    teeth, as if she were nibbling on a corncob.  No unrolled toilet
    paper, but the _damndest_ pile of fine confetti on the floor under
    the roller you ever saw.
    
    She only did it occasionally, thank goodness.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Sy used to pull the TP paper through the house also, but now I guess
    he beleives he is to old for that. So now he finds that Kotex Pads
    are much more fun to shread.  He finds them in the closet, in the
    box, and leaves them shreaded all over the front room.  I had to
    get a bathroom trash can with a lid because of this, he will snatch
    anything out of the bathroom trash and run through the house with
    it.  If you think about it, I beleive its his way of causing terror,
    embarrassing moments occur when I come home with someone and he
    has had his fun. 
    

    Re: .12
    
    Sweetie chews like this on the corners of books.  The advantage
    is that I don't have to be concerned about books vanishing forever
    if I lend them to someone (I think that's my book, sn't it?  Notice
    the tooth marks in the corner....)
    

    Re: .6
    
    
    Please don't feed your cat dog food!  Dog food lacks an essential
    amino acid that cats need.  Without it the cat will go blind. Hate
    to see that happen!!
    
    Wendy

    Re: .6
    
    Dog food is also high in ash which can really cause problems for
    a cat.
    

    Speaking of TP - Lara is lucky that I don't send her to the market
    to buy more TP!  She destroys at least 4 or 5 rolls a week.  In
    October's Cat's Mag. there is advertised a plastic holder to
    protect the roll - fits either on the outside of the roll or
    a model to fit resessed holders - price is $14.95 plus $2.00
    shipping.  It's called the Feline Foiler - I don't have the
    address with me - it's home, but check it out if you are
    as desperate as I am!  It takes her about two nanoseconds
    to unroll a brand new roll!  She is lucky I am still
    speaking to her!
    
    Elaine