Today was another one of those low energy days. Maybe it was the gray, drizzly wetness of it. Maybe it was the chill air that encouraged wrapping oneself up in a comforter and keeping warm. Whatever it was, it was.
I hope tomorrow finds us more energetic, but today is today. Even Andy’s piddling the day away.
I was wondering if you could give me an opinion. I went to the local animal shelter today to take a look at the cats. The one I liked was precisely the most frightened. I thought it was just shyness, so I reached out to hold him, and for a minute seemed to be okay. After that he hissed which I’m also used to in cats. What I found extremely incredible was his bite. I don’t mind cats biting a little, but this cat gave me an extremely strong bite. Do you think this a warning sign for canceling a possible adoption? This was the cat I really liked, and I know bites are a normal expression of fear, yet this one bit me to the bone. Would this be a prevalent behavioral pattern, or just plain fear?
I would be prepared for a long period of adjustment if you decide to adopt this cat.
I am not an expert in these things, but I always approach adoptions from the standpoint of a positive reaction toward me and vice versa. It’s easy enough to fall in love with a cute kitty or cat, but I like to adopt the ones that show curiosity and interest in me, ones that come up to me to get pet or have their noses rubbed.
This cat might be a better one for someone with lots of experience with feral or semi-feral cats, which it might be.
I know exactly what you mean, yet, this shelter is a “kill shelter”, unfortunately. The bite was just too much, yet this cat was barely 6 weeks old at the most. I have a feeling it’s trauma. He must have already bitten someone and gotten smacked real hard or even kicked.
That’s quite possible, though a feral cat (or kitten) might react that way out of a need to protect itself from perceived threats to its safety, too.
I know feral mothers will attack a human if a human gets too close to her kittens because it’s happened to me! I was going to adopt one of the kittens, but I decided I probably wasn’t up to the challenge. I’d little experience with cats that that point, and only cats that were thoroughly domesticated.
Let me know what you decide to do. I hope you are able to save this kitten, but it will be a challenge. One person you might contact is Doug Brown, who posts videos featuring foster cats he and his wife take in when people find them with little families of kittens. Here’s a link to his Facebook site, and you can view his videos featuring rescue cats he and his wife Sharon have helped (and sometimes adopted!)both there and in YouTube.:
https://www.facebook.com/douglas.brown.315
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRGjMLJOdB3PBqQpO-KJZjQ
Yes, the bite means he must have come from a feral mother, or a violent situation in which he had the need to protect himself that way. I think he’s probably 7 weeks at the most. The bad thing is that once they bite this hard, they start getting mistreated, even by the shelter personel. Too bad.
Again, this is why I fully support neutering and spaying pets before they reproduce. The cute cuddly ones can get adopted easily enough, but the problem ones rarely get a chance to experience a happy end.
Oh he’s neutered, this is why all the cats are 6-7 weeks or older in there. They’re neutered and have their vaccination records. The shelter is actually doing much better, its adoption rate increased tremendously in the last years. I just think this is a traumatized cat, not allowed to explore enough and having too much fear.
Some shelters have volunteers play with the “inmates” to help socialize and entertain them till they are adopted. I think that is helpful but requires time and resources, something many shelters lack.
It has been grey and nasty and cold here, too. I love that painting. Woof!
It’s a photograph, actually! The super hero outfit was added later by a friend who lives in New Zealand.
When he saw the original photo, he decided Louie the ginger cat (who died in 2011) was heroic and needed a super hero outfit.
With the little cape, he became Captain Me-Ow. (Because cats are all about “Me”, and if you don’t believe it, watch out for “Ow”!)
It’s a favorite photo of the late Louie, and the super hero cape captured his spirit well!
I recognized friend Louie! I’ll bet you miss him still. He surely was a charismatic cat! Woof!
Yes, hard to believe but poor Louie died four years ago as of August 1st. Yes, he is missed still. He was a great cat!
We’re having a chilly, grey, wet day here too. I think I’ll cook to warm up the house.
It’s a bit warmer here today, but still comfortably cool for a Nebraska July day.
I like the picture on your wall.
That’s a photo of my late cat Louie the ginger cat. A New Zealand friend thought he needed a little super hero cape because of his pose, and it captures Louie’s spirit quite perfectly! He was a great cat.
Until Andy tried to pull it off the wall, the photo was held in place and centered in the frame by static electricity.
Pulling on the bottom frame, Andy broke the static electric charge, the photo slipped down, and I decided to leave it ass is because chaos is a normal part of having cats in one’s life! LOL 🙂
I love your wall art 🙂
Zazzle does a nice job of printing up photos as posters, and this was one I liked well enough to spend that kind of money to have enlarged and suitable for framing.
Actually, it is available for sale on Zazzle, though I made it mostly for my own purpose of having something to memorialize a favorite pet.
http://www.zazzle.com/captain+me-ow+gifts
Oh! I’m working with zazzle on a surprise atm 😀
I’ll look forward to seeing what comes of that! I have been very impressed with their quality and service. They are a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for,.
Very true! I’m waiting on my sample atm but hopefully it’ll arrive soon. 🙂
I’ll keep my eyes peeled for your announcement!
Hehe thanks 🙂
🙂
Normal process about energy which always goes from a high level to a low level ! 🙂
In friendship
Michel
I was totally without energy yesterday, but feel my batteries are recharged enough again today to put something up on my blog again!
Some days are just meant for sloth. bring ’em on!
Yes, though I hope I break out of the spell of sloth pretty soon! I’m headed for another day of it today at the rate I’m going!
It was one of those day here too. Hot and humid.
…and we got another cool day with the prospect of rain. 🙂
I had a high energy this morning but boy did I regret it at 5 p.m. Everything hurts. Of course, regular Florida weather this time of year means thunder storms most days.
We had a rainy day ourselves today. July usually is nasty hot here.
Yes, the prairie – I remember it well. When I was young…before I was in school… we lived on the prairie in SE Colorado. My mother wore herself out cleaning after the dust storms.
Ugh! Those are more rare these days, but there still are some farmers who send their fields into the atmosphere by sloppy practices. I hate these storms. Awful and scary.
ART SHOT! Art shot alert! 😉
LOL! Call it what you will! I’ll deny any plan or intent.
I’ve seen a copy in the National Gallery. 😉
…a showing of “degenerate art” perhaps!?
Perhaps. 🙂
:\ We hide out wherever we can, us makers of such stuff!
LOL, 😀
Oh man I hear ya and am headed back to the sofa for another nap.
I had one this morning…. We’re falling apart, Ruth! 🙂
Oh man yes we are falling apart but hey at least we can nap.
Well, it’s cool here again today, and danged if I didn’t take another nap this morning…!