Where all the owners are responsible, all the shelters are empty, and all the pets are only slightly over-loved
Happy Mother’s Day to all human and pet mothers!
Photo courtesy of Visual Hunt
Photo courtesy of Cuteness.com
This morning, Charlie and Garrus were up bright and early to let me know that it was, in fact, food o’clock. (Boudicca slept in a bit.) Charlie was incredibly lovey and flopped all over the bed looking for rubs and attention. It’s heartwarming to wake up to the sound of a loud, trill-punctuated purr and greeted by a cat as happy as Charlie is.
The other day I felt a migraine coming on and took a brief nap to deal with it. I woke up to the sound of loud purring. A foot away from my head was Charlie, who purred even louder when he realized I woke up. Next to him was Garrus, looking sleepy and content next to his cuddle buddy. He might have been purring too.
But I could not move. Why? Boudicca had stealthily sneaked up onto the bed and camped out on my hip. I was not allowed to stretch out toward the boys or roll over. Instead of feline lap paralysis, I had feline hip paralysis! She did, however, graciously allow me to pet her and snap a photo.
“You will snuggle NOW and MY WAY!” Her Majesty Queen Boudicca decrees. At least she’s cute and googly in her imperiousness.
Caught between three purring cats…it could be worse.
Cats are creatures of routine, and this definitely applies to my little pounce. While Garrus does not always come up onto the bed for a visit as we wake up, as Boudicca and Charlie do on a regular basis, Garrus greets us with his characteristically jaunty trot and lots of tail hugs. He habitually escorts one of us into Aaron’s office to his food bowl and waits patiently by the door. “Good morning, my caretakers! I trust you slept well. It’s time for breakfast!” he seems to say. Keep in mind that Garrus only meows (politely, mind you) when in the carrier; otherwise he does not meow, squeak, chatter, or make any other noise. Even his purr is so quiet most of the time that you can’t tell he is purring unless you feel his neck.
After we feed the cats and refresh their water, it is our routine to visit each of the cats, or sometimes, they come to us. Boudicca wakes up and joins us by the kitchen table, where she stares intently at Aaron as she attempts to execute the Schnauzer Mind Meld. (As I have mentioned before, Boudicca has not yet figured out that she is, in fact, not a Miniature Schnauzer.) Aaron sits on the Morsel Distribution Throne and has the Morsel Distribution Hand. Apparently his morsels taste better than mine. We occasionally give her tiny bits of egg (good for her coat) or meat. (There are people food items that are safe for cats.) When Aaron has waffles or pancakes, Boudicca seems to pout, since she firmly believes that all people food is for kitties and does not understand when we don’t share.
This past week, there was a beautifully choreographed kitty ballet in our kitchen whenever we gave Boudicca her medication in wet food. The boys were keenly interested in what prompted Boudicca to become such a Meower Mouth. Charlie had to contribute his two cents by squeaking. Garrus, a characteristically quiet Gentleman Cat, simply pirouetted with his tail high and a hopeful expression, “I used to eat wet food. I like it…May I have some please?” Unfortunately I was not able to get the kitty ballet on video but I did capture a short video of Boudicca demonstrating her Meower Mouth alter ego.
Usually Charlie comes to us as we wake up and happily purrs when we give him rubs. Once we wake up, he trots off to play in the living room, snuggle with Garrus on the ottoman, or hang out on his favorite platform on the cat tower. Sometimes he will stroll by the kitchen table as we eat breakfast, squeaking, polishing our ankles, giving tail hugs, and generally being cute. Incidentally, his presence occasionally bugs Boudicca, although she will ignore him if she is intent on begging. After breakfast, we stop by the cat tower, where Charlie has taken up his post, and remind him how cute he is. Cue slow blinks.
Garrus doesn’t often visit us while we eat breakfast. He tends to hang out in the living room, where his favorite spot (the ottoman) is. Boudicca meanwhile claims her spot on the couch. Garrus has a habit of following us into the bedroom–or me into the bathroom–and asks for pets. If I am standing up and wiggle my fingers in invitation, he can be convinced to jump onto the bed for scritches. His preferred spot for visits, however, is on the ottoman.
This morning I sat on the ottoman and called Garrus. He trotted over with a marked spring in his step and tail-hugged my legs. Then he hopped up onto the ottoman and rubbed himself against my back and hands, semi-flopping next to me. He started purring quietly when I scritched this side of his neck and shoulder, or when I scritched the base of his tail. (Cue elevator butt.)
Since we’ve been working on getting him acclimated to being handled, I gently picked him up and placed him on my lap. I do this regularly but he tends to jump off after about 10-30 seconds. This morning he appeared to be calmer and more relaxed because he remained on my lap for a few minutes. I gently stroked him (not too much so he would not get over-stimulated) and talked to him, telling him how handsome and good he was. He continued to purr and slow blinked. When he decided to end our lovely lap session, he did not abruptly kick off my lap but instead stood up and leisurely walked over to the free space on the ottoman next to me. Lying down, he looked up at me with those big yellow eyes and asked me to continue petting him, which of course I did. What a breakthrough!
During our visit, Charlie woke up and started playing. As per his habit, he plucked the toy mice from the highest platform, choosing one by one with his mouth or paws and deliberately throwing them onto the floor. He held the largest (his newest prize) in his mouth and carried it as he climbed down the cat tree and strolled over to me. He gave one muffled squeak, dropped the mouse at my feet, and flopped over so I could give him a belly rub. Unfortunately I did not have my camera with me or else I would have recorded it. But he was SO CUTE. All in all it was a very pleasant morning!
Do your cats like to greet you in the morning? What are your morning routines with your fur people? Are they lovey in the morning or in the evening? Tell your stories in the comments section!
After spending much of the day at the vet’s office on Tuesday and feeling very crummy, Boudicca understandably needed time to decompress. After I brought her home late Tuesday afternoon, though, I was not sure if she would continue to have accidents until the antibiotic started to work its magic. One of the techs also noted that the boys might act aggressive or oddly around her because she smelled like the vet’s office, so that was something to watch for and prevent if it occurred. (Sometimes cats can pick on a sick cat or a cat returning from the vet.) In order to deal with this issue, I briefly separated Boudicca from the other cats and confined her in the bathroom, equipped with food, water, and a litter box. She had not eaten much that day and had been probably stressed out for much of the day, despite the techs and vet giving her assurance and affection when possible. She needed a break.
Although she did eat, drink, and use the litter box (no accidents), Boudicca was decidedly unhappy about being confined. She pawed under the door, and this action, combined with her persistent meowing, brought the boys over. I found the boys having a committee meeting in the hallway in front of the door, staring intently underneath the door frame and reaching their paws beneath. I’m not sure if they thought it was a game or not. Then Garrus–of all cats!–surprised me by pulling a Houdini move and springing Boudicca out of the joint. Jailbreak! I still have no idea how he opened the door because he has never demonstrated this talent before or since. Suddenly I had all three cats barreling down the hallway, with Boudicca in the lead, hissing her displeasure and her tail semi-poofed. When Boudicca tore out of the bathroom, Charlie thought, “Oh it’s time to chase! Yay! I love this game!” Boudicca promptly turned into Bette Midler a la Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus, emphatically not game for such shenanigans. When I appeared to intervene, the boys scampered off to the bedroom, left Boudicca alone, and furiously repolished their halos for the rest of the evening.
The following day (Wednesday) was unmistakably calmer. We had no issues giving Boudicca her medication because we disguised it in a dollop of wet food, and the treatment seemed to kick in right away. She spent most of the day catching up on much needed sleep. She was so involved in her sleep that I could nearly see the z’s floating off of her.
Throughout the day I checked on her to see how she was doing. Every few hours she got up to nibble at her food, take a drink, or visit the Cat Genie, and I wanted to make sure she wasn’t having any problems or that the boys bothered her. Thankfully, both Garrus and Charlie figured out that Her Royal Highness had been under the weather and needed to fully recuperate, and in order to do so, she needed her space. They respected that like upstanding Gentlemen Cats that they can be. However, whenever I checked on Boudicca, Charlie would appear out of nowhere and squeak up a storm. Apparently he had a lot to say about something and wanted me to know! I made sure that both the boys got some attention so they wouldn’t get jealous.
On Wednesday afternoon I decided to sit on the couch and read one of my library books. I do this fairly often, and Boudicca is my dedicated reading buddy. She was already snoozing in her spot on the couch so I took my seat beside her. As I sat down–before I started petting her–she began purring in her sleep. It was so precious. Eventually she distracted me from reading by doing this:
I could tell that she was feeling less gunky when she turned upside down and slept like this. About an hour into my reading session, Boudicca woke up and, while quiet and polite, very determinedly insisted that I make my lap available for her.
“Maternal parental unit, I decree that it is lap time now.”
Boudicca claimed my lap and shortly thereafter I had to contend with feline paralysis. I was not allowed to move unless it was to pet her, give her kisses on her forehead (she asked for several so I had to oblige), hold her close, and tell her that she was a sweet, pretty girl and that I loved her. Cue copious amounts of purring (over two hours) and air biscuits. Very happy kitty!
After we bring our cats home from the vet, it’s normal for them to want to decompress and sleep. It’s also somewhat expected for them to feel a bit “off,” especially if they’ve been prodded or poked with needles, as they were when they were given their vaccines.
After we brought them home from the vet, their usual post-vet routine was thrown off. Since Monday was a holiday and Aaron had time off from work, we had scheduled our back door to be replaced. (We also scheduled the vet appointment for earlier that morning so that both Aaron and I would be available to usher cats into carriers.) We anticipated that the work would be noisy and, since the entire door would come out, we needed to confine the cats for their safety. We put Boudicca in my office with a litter box, food, water, and her comfy box bed. We put Charlie in our bedroom with access to food, water, and the Cat Genies in the master bathroom.
Our original plan was to confine Garrus along with Charlie since we knew that the boys enjoy one another’s company. We tried different tactics to catch Garrus or convince him to go into the bedroom but he was not having any of it. He planted himself in the lower cat condo on the tower and refused to budge. Rather than causing further stress by having to pry him out of there, we simply hung out next to the cat tower and made sure he did not venture out while the work was being done. Once the noise started, Garrus might have regretted not going into the bedroom. He gave us a mildly displeased face with some side-eye, but he gives us this same expression whenever his nap is interrupted.
Thankfully, the door was replaced in two hours. However, during that two hours, we realized that something was up with Charlie. We periodically checked on both Boudicca and Charlie and offered them comfort and love. Boudicca, although not happy about being confined in my office, was fine. Charlie, on the other hand, was on the bed giving me anxious, sad eyes. I checked in the bathroom and saw that there was a big mess to clean up. Charlie was definitely feeling gunky.
At first we thought it was a stress reaction in response to being at the vet and perhaps also by the noise from the door being replaced. As the day progressed, we noticed that Charlie was not acting like his normal happy-go-lucky self. He was noticeably subdued, quiet, and appeared to be ill at ease. It was also evident that his appetite had decreased. When he tried to eat in the afternoon, he threw up again. The next morning, we woke up to hear him crying in a Cat Genie, followed by an unpleasant squirting sound. He had diarrhea. More cleaning up and TLC applied to kitty.
I got worried. I had never seen this type of reaction in a cat following getting a vaccine. I did look it up and found that cats can have adverse reactions to vaccines. Sometimes it manifests as itching or sneezing. Other times there is swelling at the injection site. Still other cats react by vomiting or with diarrhea. This is what appeared to have happened to Charlie.
Compounding my worry is that on Tuesday, much of Central Texas was effectively immobilized by a strong cold front that resulted in sleet, ice, and, in some areas, hail. The storm began on Monday night. We had been strongly advised to stay off the roads. Schools from San Antonio to Houston were closed on Tuesday, as were many businesses and city departments. My vet’s office was open, however. As they always do after an appointment, a tech makes a follow-up call to check on the pet or pets seen at the office the previous day. While I was happy to report that Boudicca was fine, I described Charlie’s symptoms and the tech agreed that it was likely a reaction to the vaccine. She offered me two options: I could bring him into the office or I would wait and monitor him at home.
I, for one, did not want to venture out onto icy roads. I also did not want to submit Charlie to further stress by taking him back to the vet unless it was absolutely necessary. I decided to monitor him at home. He was not constantly vomiting nor was his diarrhea severe. We had seen him have a drink of water at least once. If he was not eating or drinking at all, or his vomiting or diarrhea was much worse, I would have reconsidered.
Charlie was quite happy to be reunited with his buddy after the construction on the back door ceased. Garrus did not seem willing to give up his spot in the condo so Charlie made do beside him.
Throughout this whole experience, Garrus often paced and seemed anxious. He kept giving me this reproachful looks, as though saying, “Excuse me, human parental units. There seems to be something amiss with my companion. Could you attend to his needs, please?” Since Charlie was not hanging out in his usual spot, Garrus apparently took it upon himself to save it for him and superintend things from his perch on the uppermost platform on the cat tower.
Garrus always sits so tall and regally but I felt here, especially in his expression, that he gave off a hint of sarcasm as well.
“Madam, why are you taking my photograph? I have important business to attend to while I am up here. I must get on.” –Garrus
I could not resist taking this photo because Garrus was being SO CUTE.
Later Charlie moved from the chair in the living room to our bed. We found Garrus being very sweet with him, grooming Charlie occasionally and snuggling with his buddy for hours. This seemed to help Charlie relax and feel better. We, of course, visited both boys and gave them love but we also wanted to let Charlie get enough sleep. The boys’ routine had been thrown off by Charlie being sick. Only Boudicca, who remained Miss Oblivious throughout this affair, was perfectly content to camp out on the couch and snooze without concern.
Observe Boudicca demonstrating the feline pinwheel position. Score: 10.0
The boys made a heart shape while cuddling. Cue the Aww factor.
Late Tuesday afternoon Charlie seemed to perk up a bit. He ate a little of his kibble and kept it down. That evening, when Aaron and I sat on the couch, I had Boudicca in my lap. This is our routine. Charlie asked if he could come up and sit on the pillow beside me. Of course I let him, and we had a lovely visit that involved many pets, polite snuggles, and much purring. I was quite pleased by this since I had not heard him purr all day. Garrus came up on the back of the couch for a bit then later enticed Charlie to play with him for a short while. We noticed that this play session wasn’t as vigorous as usual and did not involve much chasing or scampering. Garrus, who generally does not roughhouse, was being quite gentle but definitely persistent in inviting Charlie to move and play. This seemed to do Charlie some good. The boys did turn in early and resume their snuggling as they napped. Charlie slept at the foot of the bed for most of the night.
This morning the ice had melted and Central Texas started moving again. Both Charlie and Garrus wanted to visit us in bed and both purred loud. Not too long afterward, this is how I found the boys…
Look how cute they are. BEHOLD THE CUTENESS.
The vet’s office called to check on Charlie as well. He has been able to eat and hasn’t vomited or had any diarrhea in a day. (Of course I’ll keep monitoring him to ensure he’s completely out of the woods.) He’s perked up, chirpy, and noticeably relaxed. He is clearly happy to snuggle with Garrus and apparently finds his buddy to be the perfect pillow.
What have I learned from this experience? Cats and dogs alike can have adverse reactions to vaccines, and these reactions can vary widely. Getting your pet vaccinated in necessary and in many states required by law. However, if your pet appears to feel gunky after getting a shot, contact your vet. Do the right thing. The right thing may in fact involve a snuggle, as Charlie and Garrus frequently demonstrate.
Happy Cuddle Up Day! Especially in the cold heart of winter, don’t you think that’s an appropriate holiday to celebrate?
I just learned about a most apt idiom: a “three dog night,” where a night is so cold it requires three dogs snuggling close to keep warm. (I would imagine cuddling with three Newfoundlands would be a most different experience than say, three Chinese crested dogs. In my house, if it got cold enough, it would definitely be called a “three cat night”.)
Although it’s warming up where I live, I am always game for a cuddle, and I am fortunate to have Boudicca, who is definitely my cuddliest cat and demands regularly scheduled lap time every evening. Charlie and Garrus absolutely love to cuddle with one another and freely use each other as pillows. That’s one of the reasons why we could not bear to separate them and adopted them together.
Grammar Geek Alert!: What’s the difference between cuddle and snuggle?
In English we use these terms interchangeably. Cuddle [noun] is defined as an affectionate embrace, often given to family members and close friends. [I would argue this applies to fur people.] Snuggle [noun] is sometimes defined as an affectionate hug. There the words are nearly identical but the given definition for snuggle is not always correct. The connotation for the word snuggle usually implies lying closely and comfortably, as in a nest. As verbs, however, the two words have more distinct definitions.
I could dig into etymologies but that would be a tangent…In any case, now you know the difference between the two words! However, they are clearly synonyms.
Whether you prefer to cuddle, snuggle, lie under the covers, lounge on the couch binge watching Netflix, or simply be in the general vicinity of your pet (and human companions, if you feel so inclined), there are all kinds of benefits for doing this! Here are a few suggested activities for Cuddle Up Day:
NB: Not all pets will be comfortable cuddling close. Some pets have larger personal bubbles of space and will not move closer no matter how much you entice them. Do not force your pets to do anything they genuinely do not wish to do.
If your pet needs extra space, respect that need. Provide them cozy bedding and toys. Don’t ignore your reserved or shy pet; give them attention and affection (especially if there are other pets in the house), talk to them, and periodically and invite your pet to join you if they wish. If your pet has a fearful reaction when picked up (for example, if you’ve adopted a former stray that had minimal handling), talk to your pet about this behavior. This may be something that you will need to work on to lessen your pet’s anxiety, or it may indicate a medical issue.
Garrus, for example, can be affectionate but he is completely unaccustomed to being picked up. This is most inconvenient when we need to trim his nails. While he may never be a cuddly cat and I can respect that, I do not want him to be fearful when we trim his nails or when the vet examines him. We are acclimating him to being handled.
How are you going to celebrate Cuddle Up Day?
Egads! It’s actually snowing! The temperature is at freezing. The weather has been gloppy, cold, blustery, and grey before the snow started. The cats, Garrus in particular, have not been happy about the conspicuous absence of sunspots in which to bathe. On the bright side, they have been extra snuggly. On Wednesday night, Charlie came up onto the couch next to me (Boudicca was in my lap) and lazed on the pillow, receiving lots of rubs and purring away very happily. For her part, Boudicca had no idea he was there because she was upside down asleep.
What have my cats been doing to occupy themselves during this spate of wintry weather? Sleeping. Surprise! They are cats, after all. The boys, with Garrus coming to us first with those big mournful eyes of his, politely wait for us to lay out the crocheted blankets over the couch so they can snuggle up all cozy together. Boudicca has been happy snoozing in her pink beds, although occasionally she has stolen a spot on the couch when the boys head off for their own bed or the tower for a nap.
Curiously, all three cats have been intermittently poky, frisky, and attention-hungry this evening.
Boudicca: Mama! It’s cold outside! And the boys are bothering me! Make it stop! If I hide behind you, they won’t follow me, right?
Me: Queen B, I can’t change the weather. Boys, leave Boudicca alone.
Garrus: *looking directly at me, touches Boudicca’s tail with his tail then darts away*
Boudicca: Mama! He’s touching me!
Charlie: *looking innocent* Play?
Boudicca: No, I won’t, you plebeian! Go away!
Me: Children…
Apparently the cats missed us while we were gone over the Thanksgiving holiday. (Don’t worry; they were not left utterly alone. A dear friend and fellow cat lady checked in on them on Thursday and Friday and gave them an abundance of affection.) I was slightly worried that the boys would be skittish when we returned home but, thankfully, they were relaxed. All three cats sought us out for scritches and Boudicca was insistent to return to her regularly scheduled lap time as soon as possible.
This morning Boudicca woke Aaron up by walking across his face and pillow in order to curl up between us and our pillows. (For those who do not know, face- and pillow-walking is a common occurrence with cats. Some cats are more polite about it than others.) Commence snuggles, pets, and happy purring cat time! She was quite content to use my hand and arm as a chin rest and seemed quite pleased with herself when Aaron babbled at her, telling her that she was a sweet and pretty girl. (Boudicca seems to enjoy and expect compliments at regular intervals.)
Whenever the Downton Tabbies realize we’re awake, they usually come into the bedroom to investigate and receive rubs too. Garrus hung out on the floor, despite our repeated attempts to invite him up. (When we got out of bed, he received plenty of attention in the living room.) Charlie, however, did not need much coaxing to jump onto the bed. This morning he wanted all the affection he could get from Aaron and purred enthusiastically away, so loud that it drowned out Boudicca’s purrs.
Aaron: Good morning, little man.
Charlie: Hi Dad! Hi Mama! It’s lovey time, yes?
Aaron: Yes. Would you like to visit? *gives scritches and pets*
Charlie: Oh yes! This is my favorite thing! (NB: Charlie has many favorite things.)
Aaron: Now can I pick you up?
Charlie: Maybe. But you’ll have to convince me to get unstuck from the comforter.
Aaron: *disengages Charlie’s claw snags and places cat in his lap* Now what do you think about lap time? *gives back strokes, scritches, and rubs accordingly*
Charlie: This is lap time?! This is awesome! It’s so snuggly and comfy! This is my favorite thing! *BIG PURR*
Cat Parent Achievement Unlocked: We have successfully introduced Charlie to the practice of lap time. He stayed in Aaron’s lap for about 10 minutes and didn’t wiggle all over the place! Success!
Unfortunately, Charlie decided to move out of Aaron’s lap just before I was able to snap a photo.
All in all, this was an excellent way to start off a Saturday morning!
This morning Charlie woke up and came onto the bed for a visit before we got up. (It was quite snuggly under the covers so we didn’t want to leave.) He was very insistent about receiving sufficient affection and both squeaked and purred up a storm about it. Garrus came onto the bed as well but he had not yet decided whether or not he wanted rubs once he got there. Boudicca arrived late to the game but was more interested in receiving morsels from Aaron than anything else. I think the cats were cold this morning, and that is the factor that underlies their neediness this morning.
Charlie discovered my desk today! Three times he sat on the window seat near the corner of my desk, tentatively put his paws on the edge, and then invited himself onto the desk so he could investigate everything. I’ve been able to pick him up from the desk once when he blocked my view of my dual monitors. I held him against my chest in a snuggle and he purred very loudly about it!
Charlie: Hi Mama. Whatcha doin’? *squeaks*
Me: I’m working at my computer. I will give you rubs, though.
Charlie: What’s up there? I must see for myself! *jumps onto desk, sniffing everything, blocking my screens*
Me: Ahem. Charlie, this is not conducive to working. I need to be able to type and see my screens.
Charlie: What’s work? Besides, I’m cute and more important. Love me?
Me: Oh, alright. *picks him up and holds him*
Charlie: I can get on board with this snuggling thing. *PURR PURR PURR*
Garrus: Excuse me. I am looking for warms. May I sunbathe here?
Me: Absolutely. *gives rubs*
Garrus: *gives mournful look* I’m cold. Please fix it. *finds a stretch of sun and turns into loaf cat* I will contemplate the universe from this location. This spot of warm is acceptable.
Boudicca: This is why I LOVE my bed. Sunlight hits it just right in the morning so I don’t have to get up! And I have my pink blanket. The blanket makes my bed in a box even better. Y’all are jealous of my awesome box-bed.
Purry Home Companion 