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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

4427.0. "T.K. and Bandits latest antics" by ALLVAX::LUBY (DTN 287-3204) Mon Mar 04 1991 12:25

	I haven't been writing much to this conference lately but I 
	have a few minutes so I thought I'd share my latest stories of
	T.K. and Bandit with you.

	T.K. and Bandit are now about 3-1/2 years old and they have
	been my best buddies for that entire time.  T.K., my macho
	brave guy, who is forever trying to escape to explore the great
	out doors, is really a wimp is disguise.  Last week, the
	three of us went to the vets and Bandit yowled in the carrier
	the two minute trip.  T.K. was a quiet as a mouse because car
	rides do not really bother him.  Once we got there, I opened
	the cage to let them out and Bandit comes spilling out.  T.K.,
	on the other hand, is pressed flat against the back of the
	carrier and won't budge.  I tilted the carrier and still no
	T.K..  I turned the carrier upside down and somehow, he managed
	to stay in the carrier.  It took two of us to get him out!
	Once we got him out, he went into the cabinets under the 
	examining table!  At least there he wasn't cowering but
	exploring.

	And talk about big cats!  T.K. is 12 pounds of sheer muscle, sleek 
	and beautiful; he walks like a panther, is forever on the move,
	exploring and getting into trouble.  Bandit, who reminds me of 
	the poster - "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy", is a whopping 18.4 pounds!
	Yikes!  Time for a diet.  I was expecting the vet to tell me to
	not let him gain any more weight, but she would like him to lose
	a couple of pounds.  But I feed the guy CD and won't feed him 
	anything else for fear of cystitis.  Now I have to feed him less
	CD (I got a smaller bowl last night - Weight Watchers trick - so
	that he wouldn't notice that he wsa getting less food).  I'm 
	not really surprised that Bandit weighs 18.4 pounds.  He never 
	moves!  Even when he is rough-housing with T.K., he wrestles
	from a reclining position on the floor.  The only time he runs
	is when he hears food!  Actually, he does run at other times
	... the whole house shakes - we call him Thunder Bunny.  BTW,
	I may joke about his weight but I do understand the serious
	health dangers and will be monitoring his weight carefully from
	now on.

	As part of Bandits new diet and exersies regime, the vet suggested
	catnip.  Well, last night I bought a box of catnip with one of
	those little plastic balls on it.  I wanted to have my dinner
	first so I stuck the box in the top shelf in my kitchen, out
	of kitties reach.  Well, minutes later, I hear T.K. attempting
	to open the kitchen cabinets.  So, out to the kitchen I go,
	scold him for being on the counter, take the catnip and stick it
	in the bread box on top of the fridge.  He can't open that so
	I wasn't too concerned.  But he would try of course!  I came out
	to the kitchen to find him perched on top of the bread box, way
	up high, looking down at my roommate and I with this disgusted
	look on his face.  He really has a very disdainful look that
	makes you wonder if he isn't really smarter than you!  

	I finally gave in so I grabbed the box and sat down on the couch
	with it.  Talk about being attacked!  Here I am, sitting on the
	couch, with two cats (30 pounds of cat!) attacking me.  They
	are both rubbing their face all over the box, trying to take 
	it from me, making me spill it on my pants, attacking my pants,
	trying to knock the box over!  I finally manage to get half
	the plastic ball out of the box and by this time, they are wild.
	My roommate had to assist because they practically had me
	pinned to the couch in their excitement.  I finally have two
	halves of the ball and am trying to put it together without
	trapping whiskers and paws.  Phew, the ball is finally together
	and on the floor, the attack is over.  I then filled up a sock
	and pulled all the toys out from under the stove (they get lost
	there).  T.K. didn't know what to do with so many toys.  He
	kept running from one to the other to the other.  Bandit wasn't
	too concerned, he was busy licking the sock.  I was hoping that
	this would make him run around and play, but no, he'd rather
	lick an old sock.  Later, however, when I took the sock from 
	him, he did make a half hearted attempt to chase the ball
	around.  He really is quite cute, picture this chubby, fluffy,
	Maine Coon type mutt cat with double paws (and tufts of fur
	between his toes), chasing a toy.  Despite his size, he kinda
	looks like an uncoordinated kitten.

	Well, I've gone on quite a bit here - I've made up for the last
	year of silent noting (or mostly silent).  I just wanted to let
	everybody know I was still around.  I still read this file at
	least twice a week on a skimming basis.  

	Hope I haven't bored any of you.  I just wanted to share my
	love for my buddies with people who can really understand.

	Karen
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
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4427.1funny babies!MCIS2::HUSSIANYellow RibbonMon Mar 04 1991 14:588
    Heh, heh, heh! That was a great story! I snickered the whole way thru
    it!! I love to bring out the catnip!! We always do when we're enjoying
    a special treat. It's only fair, right?!? And it's great entertainment
    for Mom & Dad too!!
    
    You didn't bore this feliner in the least!! Thanx! ;*)
    
    Bonnie
4427.2Give Up the Nip or I'll Trash the KitchenSANFAN::FOSSATJUMon Mar 04 1991 15:4411
    It's amazing what they'll do to get to that stuff - watching them
    trying to get at it is half the fun - the other half for me, is
    watching three different reactions after they get into it (watching
    each of them guard their little pile of 'nip from eachother cracks me
    up as well).
    
    Your story made me want to go home and cuddle with my babies, turn on the
    TV or read a book with the best company in the world - kitties.
    
    
    Giudi+3
4427.3*WELCOME BACK*AIMHI::OFFENMon Mar 04 1991 17:3315
    Karen,
    
    Boy, I've missed the Bandit's Latest Antics.  Good to see that he and
    T.K.  haven't changed..
    
    Remember the *money* you saved by not having to go to aerobics.  When
    the two of them had a little fun with the toilet paper/napkins/paper
    towels. "Bend, two, three.  Bend, two, three."
    
    Sandi and the Storm Troopers.  
    
    PS.  I call Thunder - ThunderKitty when she goes thundering down the
         halls.
    
    
4427.4CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds DTN:297-2313Tue Mar 05 1991 07:594
    If I recall correctly that was Hartz catnip you used, right?  That
    stuff is pretty stale.  Can you imagine what they'd do for FRESH
    catnip?  Haddeleigh House has some excellent fresh nip.
      Nancy
4427.5WILLEE::MERRITTTue Mar 05 1991 08:3315
    We have a friend that grows catnip and he brings my guys over
    a tree atleast every other week.  Boy...do they go crazy.
    
    I also bought some catnip in this little burlap bag at the UCF
    in Fitchburg.  They love lapping those.
    
    BTW...remember we talked about all the little missing balls in
    the house...and we thought they went the same place the socks
    went in the dryer.  Well..Ha ha...I found the magical hiding
    spot in my house...and found 8 plastic bottle caps, 3 spongey
    balls...and 38 tin foil balls.
    
    Sandy
    
    
4427.6hours & hours of entertainment!MCIS2::HUSSIANYellow RibbonTue Mar 05 1991 09:1316
    Tabitha LOVES lighters!! We have to make sure they are hidden in the 
    house, or she's bound to hide them w/ all the foam balls & crumpled
    candy wrapers & those little rings at the top of the milk jug!! She
    LOVES them too!! She runs around w/ them in her mouth, it's SOOOOO
    cute! 
    
    Every now & then we lift the coffee table & retreive her toys for her,
    & then she chases them right back under there!!
    
    Her latest fun toy is a big map, it's rolled up & I stapled it so that
    the tube is large enough for her to crawl thru, she's been having a 
    blast w/ it!! We put it up against her kitty condo as a little tunnell
    & she goes nuts on it! UP, UNDER, THRU, OVER, AROUND, "watch out mommy
    I'm-a-comin' thru!"  vaaaaarrrroooooommmmm!!!
    
    Bonnie
4427.7*TOYS, TOYS, TOYS*AIMHI::OFFENThu Mar 07 1991 12:098
    RE .6
    
    Thanks, Bonnie, for the *neat* idea for a new toy for the kittys.  I
    will start looking for something that I can roll-up and they can
    climb through.  I wonder if a rug will do the trick??
    
    Sandi and the Storm Troopers
    
4427.8Carpet Covered TunnelsSANFAN::FOSSATJUThu Mar 07 1991 16:3512
    We started out with our guys by rolling up a big poster and they liked
    it so much that we ended up going to the pet shop and buy two carpet
    covered tunnels.  It ended up being the very best purchase we made for
    the brats - they use it for scratching, hiding, chasing, perching and
    stashing their stuff - it was money very well spent as it's used
    constantly by all three of them - not like some other things we've
    gotten them with which they lost total interest  - like the 7 ft.,
    $250 condo/cat tree that they don't even look at any more.
    
    What the He** mom, it's only money!
    
    Giudi +3
4427.9and a big hello back from shirl and verne..ASABET::C_AQUILIATue Mar 12 1991 12:3524
hi karen!  long time no read eh?  i know how you feel.  i have not been
in this file as a noter for about a year myself.  i do skim as much as you 
however.   i feel as though i know you and your kitties as verne and shirl
grew up at the same time.  they went through all the same things
at the same times.  whenever i saw your notes i knew that sooner or later
verne and shirl would be going through whatever it was that you wrote
about so i always would read them.  i am happy that most of them were 
were very happy ones.  now that i think about it, there are several 
friends in here that probably grew up at the same time, right?
anyways... only cat lovers will laugh and cry about these stories.  
i get alittle sad when i know that i don't spend as much as i should 
in here though.  the file had helped me through the younger years 
with the kitties and without it, i would of been one terrible mother.  
these our my first babies and i still worry alot about them but i'm
basically an experienced feliner now; thanks to all the great people
in here.
so enough sobbing, i just wanted to say hi and tell you that i love
your stories.  oh, and btw, verne is 14 pounds (only because he *still*
eats shirly's food when she turns her back) and i'm trying to get him
to lose weight too.  may i suggest some wire tops from champagne 
bottles??  they do wonders for cats that need to be exercised and they
even do wonders for you!  ha ha.. in moderation of course. take care--

cj, shirl and verne.
4427.10XNOGOV::KARENwhen you wish upon a star...Wed Apr 03 1991 08:265
    I enjoyed reading your story, too!  Your cats sound like a pair of rogues.
    
    Regards,
    
    Karen (and Georgie)