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How to Train Your Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Cat
(Are you allowed do a movie title mashup if you haven't seen the movies? 😏)
Lovey Chuckie has been hangin' round the house a lot this week, showing up at the front door and the deck door. He would gladly follow the dogs in from their potty breaks, but has to be satisfied with either me or Brian scooping him up for a little cuddle-and-purr session.
This morning Chuckie was hanging out on the deck, a little too interested in the birds trying to avail themselves of the newly filled feeder. I picked him up and carried him through the house to the front door two or three times, hoping he'd lose interest, but he kept showing back up on the deck. When I turned my head to see a flustered feline in a flurry of feathers, that was it; SOMEthing had to be done. I went to the sink to fill a big glass with water to throw at him, and spied a 60cc dosing syringe. Perfect. I filled it up, went the deck, and squirted Chuckie. He came back twice more in quick succession, getting the same treatment, before making himself scarce.
I was going in and out through the deck doors to shake rugs when Chuckie decided to venture up on the deck again. I grabbed the waiting syringe and blasted his retreating tail end. He pondered this inhospitable treatment from my herb barrel down by the fence while I went about my housework; when I went out onto the deck to shake one final rug, he skedaddled toward the barn. Tonight after dark I heard him 'me-OW-ing' at the deck door; when I opened it a crack he made the mistake of trying to stick his face through – squirt! There seem to be no hard feelings toward me, though; he met me at the front door when I went to get more firewood and I loved on him, then he ran ahead of me to the barn for his supper and more loving.
Today it got into the 40s and almost all the remaining snow disappeared. The pansies, not yet planted, have bounced back as perky as ever. But I have a feeling we're going to wake up to more white stuff in the morning; it's 32° now and has been raining off and on since dark. The two young raccoons came back tonight to fuel up; Brian and I enjoyed watching them until the light made them too nervous and they left.
Good night from . . .
10 comments:
You know, he is one handsome cat - and you can tell his coat has really filled in. I think what he is trying to tell you is that "You know, I can be more than just a barn cat." haha. Of course, attacking the birds is so natural for him being hunter - hope he can figure out that the birds at the feeder must be left alone.
Elaine, he is definitely a "people-cat," so we do try to give him lots of loving. I'm sure Brian's parakeet would NOT appreciate having such a hunter inside!
Well - the parakeet aside - I seem to remember Chuckie had problems figuring out where to go the bathroom inside. That's a HUGE no-no. And because Chuckie is such a hunter, the parakeet would have ulcers - if birds get ulcers. BESIDES - the parakeet was there first - he has right!!
But oh how those picture make me miss my first cat - a Tuxedo cat just like Chuckie with a sweet disposition as well. How I miss that people cat - he was more dog than cat!
I wish I had a affectionate cat like Chuckie. Alas, affection and tortiseshell cat are oxymorons. I have to limit my petting because she gets overstimulated and bites me. You’re supposed to get a dumping of the white stuff. There’s snow in Tacoma and it’s snowing here now, through next week - supposedly.
You remember correctly, Elaine. I have seen him use my riding arena as a giant letterbox, though (Oreo, did, too), so it turns out he's not totally devoid of normal cat instinct.
Chuckie can do that, too, Sharon; I have to take care in how I pet him. I've also grasped him by the scruff of the neck when he gets that way to discourage that behavior, and that seems to work well to calm him down. We weren't QUITE cold enough for the precipitation to stick as snow today, but it feels like it is getting colder. We are supposed to go to a house concert in Salem tomorrow afternoon; sure hope it's not cancelled as the artist is visiting from Scotland!
Awww Chuckie... it's hard to be a cat some days. I bet you get some more snow also, since we have been getting it here on the coast.
Sure it's not the proximity of the raccoons that are making Chuckie so determined to get into the house? Raccoons have been known to gang up on and kill cats. You might want to start bringing the bird feeders in at night to send them on their way.
Ruth, the forecast has changed and it doesn't look like we going to get more snow after all. Bright and sunny today, although everything is still frozen.
I don't think so, Amanda, since we only see the raccoons on the deck late at night and that's one time Chuckie is scarce. My husband has had to rebuild and reinforce that birdfeeder multiple times (the weight of three adult raccoons is more than 'code' for a bird feeder!); it is NOT removable. ;-)
I got such a chuckle from reading about Chuckie's adventure.
Chuckie seems like such a sweetie. But, still, he does have to be taught what's right and what's wrong in the eyes of his people. I know it's natural for cats to hunt and kill birds if they can, but it's not like he's starving and the birds are his only source of food. Bottom line, Chuckie: She has a spray bottle and isn't afraid to use it!
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