superstition | WEGGIEBOY'S BLOG by Doug Thomas

Today’s post hits more than 665 but less than 667. I am not superstitious, but I won’t number it in case you are!

Likewise, since both my cats are kind of black — I think of them as black — I won’t post any photos of them today, though I assure you they walk in front of me day in and day out. I have yet to have bad luck.

Of course, I still haven’t won the Powerball. Hmmm. Damn black cats!

grumpy

Orange tabbies are OK, though. (Poor Louie. Aw well…!)

Louie loved hunting insects in this black bamboo thicket. It was his happy spot!

Louie was a big cat. Sometimes he’d jump up on your lap without warning. Yowza!

AWhen the florist sent the wrong bouquet to the house instead of the church, Louie had to check it out. Or maybe he just wanted to walk on the table. He was naughty that way!

When the florist sent flowers to the house instead of the church, Louie had to check it out. Or maybe he just wanted to walk on the table. He was naughty that way!

Louie was aggressive toward other cats but was scared snotless of going to the veterinarian's in the car.

Louie was aggressive toward other cats but it scared Louie snotless to go to the veterinarian’s in the car. (That’s the boys’ veterinarian in red, incidentally, and the technician holding Louie is the one who shaved a spot on Andy’s tail so she could get his blood pressure. We all go back a long time!)

Hee! Hee!

Louie adored me, I think, but that doesn’t mean he minded very well. Fortunately, he was basically a pretty good boy!

stealth sleeping

Louie took an interest in what I was always doing on the computer. Yeah.

Louie was a semi-outdoor cat. He was five years old when I got him (his veterinarian estimated), and his previous people apparently let him wander. That’s how he ended up trapped by the animal control officer, and was abandoned and “there” when I was looking for a cat.

Louie was a good ol’ cat! He enjoyed watching birds in the fir tree out the back door.

DrNworb put out another excellent video on YouTube, this time on black cats and the difficulties they endure because of human ignorance.

I have two black cats, which you realize if you follow this blog. Andy and Dougy are best buddies and brothers to each other, but a good part of my joy, too. For that reason, I keep them inside. Their safety and longevity are more important than giving them “freedom” by turning them outside to exposure to parasites and disease, street accidents and stray dogs, wild animals and bad people. Protecting your pets from people who might harm them because they are black cats – or cats, period – can’t be emphasized too strongly during this season.

Halloween holds other hazards for pets, and it is even more vital to protect your pets, not just black cats, by making sure they don’t get into holiday candies or decorations that cats, especially, like to mouth and bat around. My cats like candy wrappings, something I have had to take these out of little mouths before one or the other cat swallowed. Things that make crinkly sounds are particularly attractive to cats. For their safety, keep attractive and dangerous items out of their reach.

If you typically have little visitors to your home on Halloween, you should help your pet deal with the stress of lots of strangers invading their space by putting them in a room where they have food, toys, whatever they need for comfort till the visits end. In my situation, Dougy is very curious about the outside. If he’s allowed to greet people at the door (and both cats like to greet people at the door), he invariably starts outside if the door is open very long. Either way – stress or curiosity – pet safety needs to be dealt with beforehand.