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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

3437.0. "The Training Continues..." by SUBURB::HOLLOWAYF (If only I could....) Tue Mar 20 1990 07:43

    Having had out cats for a year, Geoff and I have decided that they
    are still obviously trying to train us !
    
    Rusty is a long haired torishell (2yrs old) and Lily is a small
    black cat (18mhts old)
    and boy, have they taken over our lives.
    Up until recently they have always been very good when left on their
    own all day (they won't go outside) and Geoff and I have always
    been good at getting home straight after work and feeding them and
    spending time with them in the evenings and weekends playing with
    them.
    
    BUT, just recently Geoff and I have been up to our eyes in wedding
    plans and consequently have been coming home an hour or 2 late from
    work, and going out in the evenings and at weekends.
    Well, Rusty and Lily have decided that this is not on and they have
    got to show us that they do not approve and so teach us a lesson.
    
    So, if we get in from work on time everything is great, but if we
    get home half an hour later they have wrecked the joint ! Plants
    are over turned, ornaments are knocked off the shelf, the cat litter
    is scattered everywhere, any newspapers or paper left out is shredded
    in to a million pieces, and, if we're really late (not very often
    thankfully) they will not use the litter tray - if you know what
    I mean.
    
    Then, when we get in, they will just sit in the middle of this chaos
    and look at us as if to say "well what do you expect if you're going
    to come in this late !"                    
    
    Fortuantely Geoff and I can see the funny side to this, it's just
    like being back at home in a way, when you daren't stay out late
    'cos as soon as you get in someone is going be gaving you that "And
    what time to you call this" look.
    
    Their training is certainly working, we daren't get home late any
    more and they are rewarding us with a clean house and lots of extra
    love and affection.
    
    This is one training session I really have enjoyed !!
    
    Fran.
    
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3437.1CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Tue Mar 20 1990 08:0110
    Well, that answers my question  ;-)  Lastnight we were a bit
    later than usual getting home and when we pulled into the driveway
    I noticed Bumpytail in the kitchen window, Mao in one diningroom
    window and Isis in another one.  I wondered aloud, whether they
    heard the car coming down the street (because the kitchen window
    is on the opposite side of the house from the driveway) or if they
    know what time we should be home and just sit in the windows from
    that point on.  I suspect, strongly now, that its the latter.
      Love those cats!!
       Nancy DC
3437.2They only LOOK cute and innocent...FENNEL::SPINGLERTue Mar 20 1990 09:3622
    
    My two must have read the training manual too.  Spot always sits in the
    big (picture) window in the livingroom, which looks out over the
    driveway, whenever we leave or return.  She would have us believe that
    *ALL* she does all day is wait for us to return.  (We know better, for
    instance on Friday March 16 Panther meet me at the door with a
    desperate look on her little face.  I knew Spot had been up to
    something.  I walked into the kitchen, catnip toys everywhere!!!! 
    There were catnip toys I didn't know they had !  Paper towels were
    unrolled from the dispenser on the counter.  (That is a designated cat
    free zone and both know it!)  Also the bathroom wastebaskets had been
    raided, a favorite place to look for forbidden things to play with like
    used tissue and empty cardboard rolls.  Spot looked like she might have had a
    a hangover.  Must have been some party she threw!
    
    A mummie in training for 5 years, I still don't know what they will do
    next!
    
    Feline fine,
    
    Sue & Panther & Spot
    
3437.3Yep, I've been there too!BLKPUD::WARNESGFinns det n�gon h�r som talar Svensk?Tue Mar 20 1990 13:1011
    I too have experienced similar behavioural patterns in both my cats
    which occurred when little attention had been paid to them for some
    time - due to domestic upheaval.  The behaviour manifested itself in
    many ways, but peaked when 1 cat decided to soil the kitchen area.
    I found that a stiff ticking off for the immediate offense, followed by a 
    few days of intense attention and affection (distributed equally) worked 
    wonders, and the behaviour has not been repeated.
    
    Graham + Fudge + Squiff
    Warrington,UK
    
3437.4oh yeah?! watch this!FORTSC::WILDEAsk yourself..am I a happy cow?Tue Mar 20 1990 15:4311
Oh yeah....don't you just love it when they wait until you walk into
the room, look at you, and THEN do the "never in a million years would
my cat do that" trick....Hannah starts by patrolling through the house
ahead of me, looking me in the eye, and dumping over any trash can
she can move.  In fact, once while I was on a project and working
late hours, she and Nick worked together to turn over the big kitchen
can - loaded though it was - just as I walked in the entrance from
the garage.

We know they are diabolical creatures when their human(s) need retraining...

3437.5CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Wed Mar 21 1990 07:487
    The one I love is when I'm in the livingroom sitting in the
    chair and one, who is angry with me, will come into the room, 
    come over to the chair in which I am sitting, and proceed to
    use it for a scratching post all the time looking me straight
    in the eye!!!!! 
      I GET THE MESSAGE!
    
3437.6Did You Just Do That ??SUBURB::HOLLOWAYFIf only I could....Wed Mar 21 1990 08:5616
    ref.5 Mine do that too.
    
    The other things that make me laugh are
    
    1) If they are cross with us for any reason and we try and go up
       to stroke them, they just look us straight in the eye, then turn
       the backs on us with their tail in the air and walk off.
       
    2) Lily has a problem with bad 'wind' and it's not quiet either.
       It's as if she knows when she's about to 'let off' 'cos she'll 
       come and sit on your lap, fart, and then look at you in disgust
       and walk of, as if it's our fault !
    
    Fran, Rusty and windy Lily.
    
       
3437.7FILTON::GLOVER_PAnd you've looked in the mirror?Wed Mar 21 1990 09:068
    Hollof:-
    
    Your descriptive talents know no bounds.........
    " 'cos she'll 
       come and sit on your lap, fart, and then look at you in disgust
       and walk of,"
    
    :-)
3437.8CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Wed Mar 21 1990 15:043
    re: .6 #2 - Yes, we call them "Happy farts" and Bob does those
    alot!!  Unlike "windy" Lilly, he seems oblivious to them.  Boy do
    we notice tho!  :-}
3437.9Will you STOP THAT !!!SUBURB::HOLLOWAYFIf only I could....Mon Mar 26 1990 08:1823
    There is one other thing that the girls do that really drives me
    mad.
    During the week Geoff and I always get up about 7 o'clock, and the
    cats are quite good, they don't start playing around and making
    a noise until they hear the alarm, 'cos they know that's when we
    get up and feed them.
    BUT, at the weekend we do like our lie-in. The cats don't understand
    this, and therefore their habits don't change.
    Come 7 o'clock they start jumping around on the bed and fighting
    and generally making a lot of noise. Geoff and I can just about
    tolerate this, so it doesn't work.
    But, there is one thing that drives us both mad and is guarented
    to get us up, and they have sussed this out.
    Their cat litter tray is in the hall, just outside the bedroom (we
    live in a flat) and we can't stand the sound of them scratching
    the cat litter, it really grates on the nerves. So, now the both
    just sit next the litter tray and scratch it until we finally get
    up and feed them. 
         
    I just can't believe how shrewd they are, they never miss a trick.
    
    Fran, Rusty and Lily.
    
3437.10CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Mon Mar 26 1990 09:063
    re: -1 - 7:00 !!   Boy you guys really sleep in!!!!!!!
    
    Nancy DC (who gets up at 5am)