All About Cats

Let me introduce myself -

I am Senor Gatto, famous artist’s model, assistant designer, all-around housecat, and of course originator of the book “Caring for Cats” … which is all about my experiences.

I live with my care taker, and Koschka (our other cat) … Koschka is my best friend, even though he eats my food when I am not looking.

Now that I am old and wise, I have decided to share some of my tips about keeping us cats healthy, happy and safe. You will also find drawings for which some of my best friends and I have modeled.

DON’T LET ME OUT!

When visitors arrive, they often leave the doors open … and of course this is a great opportunity for me and my friends to check what the outside world has to offer. This happened to me once, a long time ago, when I was not as smart as I am now. I found myself in a hallway with lots of doors … it was frightening. I tried to get attention by making loud noises, but I was not heard. At times though, a door would be opened but I was not helped at all. The door was shut with me still in the hallway, and I was getting more afraid. Finally, I heard my name and I ran back to my safe place.

Since then a sign was made for me - for which I modeled - to remind visitors not to let me and my friends out. This helps a lot … and the best thing is, everyone knows that I live here, and of course I get lots of attention. So the sign is great for keeping me safe …and getting lots of petting!

HOME SAFE HOME

Many years ago, I was lucky to be found and willingly became an indoor cat, SAFE FROM OUTSIDE DANGERS! But I must admit, in the first days, I sill had the desire to see what was going on outside.When I think back, I am glad I was trained to stay in the house where I was safe and pampered. The training was quite a simple method, even though it was a bit strange.

The entrance door was left slightly open , just wide enough to let my nose peek through. I did not know that Benita was on the outside, holding the door in position. As I tried to push against the door, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I heard a very terrible barking noise. At the same time I felt my nose sprayed with cold water. I was completely shocked for a moment, having never experienced such a reaction! All I wanted to do was to see what was beyond the door and possibly venture a bit further.

A few days later I noticed that the door was slightly ajar again. This was my big chance to try once more, but I got the same response as before! Now I realize that my curiosity was not worth going through that frightful experience again. You can see that I am a fast learner … other cats might have to have more lessons.

It is important to be consistent when one tries to change a habit. One habit has to be replaced by another … ONE WHICH IS SAFE! A large open paper bag with a toy way inside was my reward. Of course I had to investigate this new object right away … and forgot all about my intended venture.

Personally, I prefer not having to worry about dodging cars, running from dogs and unfriendly humans, or drinking contaminated water from puddles.

I feel lucky because I have so many safe resting places in my home from which to choose. There is nothing like curling up in a quiet secure place to sleep uninterrupted … and I’m lucky enough to be given special toys, delicious nibbles and lots of fresh water!

SCRATCHING - SCRATCHING

I remember when I was being trained not to scratch the furniture, I was a bit annoyed. There were special areas I was drawn to on the couch. One day, when I approached one of those specially selected spots for my daily scratching routine, I found to my amazement that it was covered with sheets of plastic and aluminum. I did not like the feeling of those sheets - so, I found myself searching for a new scratching area. The next day, my new spots was covered the same way! In addition, I would hear a loud NO-NO, and I felt a spray of water when I tried to claw. I knew then that my activity was highly frowned upon and I gave up.

At the same time I received a present .. a strip of thick cardboard which was meant for scratching. I had to be taught how to use it, Benita took my front paws, one at a time, and showed me how to scratch the special carboard.. At first I resisted, and then I realized it actually felt rather good. So, I learned a new habit … but this one was approved of and did not harm the velveteen furniture. There are also scratching posts, which I am not very fond of … but we all have our own taste. The cardboard was just what I wanted. I also noticed that catnip was rubbed on it … which was an additional attraction for me.

And then, one day there was another arrival … the adoption of Ms. Kitty. She had the most colorful fur coat I ever saw … covered with large blotches of orange, white, gray and black. One leg had stripes and another was plain white … while the other two were a mixture of beige and gray blotches, and her tail was striped.

I am a tabby, and by comparison, wear a very simple fur coat. Koschka’s fur is gray and white, but Ms. Kitty was the first I saw with so many colors. I guess she had a hard time in making fur choices! At first she was not very friendly … she had a superior attitude … but after a while she became more approachable. There was one thing though … she did not want to learn the scratching routine. It could be that her age had something to do with it. She was 12, a middle aged lady. Her choice was the edge of the ottoman. Needless to say, after a few weeks of Ms. Kitty’s aggressive behavior, parts of the ottoman were not a pretty sight.

We had to realize that Ms. Kitty was rather elderly, and one certainly can’t teach ‘an old dog new tricks’. Declawing was absolutely out of the question. A new, practical plan had to be thought of. The ottoman had a nice shape and was rather comfortable … and because it was Ms. Kitty’s choice for her clawing procedures, we had it covered with an old Persian rug which was waiting for a new way to be used.

The result was astounding … the usable parts of the Persian rug covered the square shape of the ottoman beautifully. Now we had a brightly colored, elegant looking ottoman which also served as the perfect ’scratching post’ in the living room, and Ms. Kitty’s claws make absolutely no damage in the thick rug pile.

I am sure she is not aware that her bad habits actually added a new eye-catching furniture piece for our comfort and her scratching needs, in addition to being a fun conversation piece.

COLLARS -

I am happy that I don’t have to wear a collar … they can be dangerous and are very uncomfortable, especially if they don’t fit correctly.

Collars are particularly dangerous, especially for outdoor cats (unless they are the ‘break-away’ type.) Collars can get caught in fences, and branches, and all we cats know to do is PULL which tightens the collar even more, with very BAD results! Collars that are too loose can also be a problem. They can get caught in our lower jaw which is very painful and often causes DISLOCATION OF THE JAW!

Collars on kittens might look cute, but they are quite hazardous as well. Kittens grow quickly, and if a collar is not adjusted properly, they can choke the kittens as they get bigger! And what about kittens that get lost? A tight collar has deadly consequences on growing cats!

I only wear a collar for special occasions - a party, or, when I am on a special modeling assignment.

Benita von Klingspor
Your nutritionist
http://www.HealthyTipsbyBenita.com

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