Cats and Coupons

I’ve never given much thought to what goes on outside while I’m asleep but lately I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to put some low voltage path lights. Recently my son’s bike was stolen and my truck was broken into. My Mom lives close by. In recent months she has had a raccoon and another wild animal in the backyard. I know I’ve seen a black cat in the yard in the early morning. I leave for work at 4:30 am and I’m getting a little nervous about what I might encounter when I leave the house in the morning.

Does your dog react to different sounds? My Mom’s dog, a Boxer, always barks like crazy when their door chime sounds. Now that’s not all that unusual, a dog marking at the door. What is unusual is that years ago when my youngest  son was very little he used to bark when he heard it ring as well. He heard the dog bark at the door so often that he thought it was the thing to do. He doesn’t do it anymore, which we’re really happy about.Who barks when someone’s at your door?

Does your cat bother with your window dressings? Our cat loved to play with the vertical blinds when we had them. The noise got a bit annoying at times. One of the nice things about roller blinds and shades is that they don’t hand and move like vertical blinds do. I think they’re easier to clean as well. My Mom had roller blinds in every window for years. Do you prefer vertical blinds, roller shades or just curtains? Which does your cat prefer?

Does your cat like to get into things they shouldn’t? Romeo, the cat I have now, loves to explore and climb in places he shouldn’t be. Lately we’ve caught him climbing up to sit on top of the speakers. One night when he was up there he attacked my husband’s head! He’s also been found on top of the top shelf of my desk. My son has one of those entertainment centers in his room where his television and video games are, he found the cat hiding on one of the shelves recently. The oddest place Romeo has been frequenting is the sink, where RB has seen him four times this week. What’s the oddest place your cat goes?

Are you into cat furniture? I remember I’d never heard of or thought of furniture just for cats until the 1980s, when I got my Nikki. I enjoyed his kittenhood so much that I found myself buying anything in sight that he would enjoy. Back then all I ever saw were different kinds of scratching posts. I bought him one that was a 6 foot tall cat tree, made with real wood and carpet. He actually used it so often that he shredded the carpet. My Mom’s cat had a similar tree and never used it. Now I see more modern furniture out there on the market. There are actual pieces made just for cats. Maybe I’d appreciate those more if I had a bigger house. But then, I’m also content with my cat sitting on my furniture. Do you think cats need their own furniture? I don’t - most cats can make themselves comfortable anywhere they want. Do you think they care if they have it? I think they’d prefer to be closer to their human.

A week ago we got another cat. We got him from a family in New York that couldn’t keep him any more due to a family member’s health issues. I knew it was meant to be as soon as I saw his picture, he looks so much like my Shadow. His name is Romeo. At first we thought he might have been named that because he’s a lover. Now we think he was named that because he’s a master at hiding. On more than one occasion we’ve looked throughout the house calling “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore are thou Romeo?” He’s very timid and will only come out when he’s ready. His favorite spots to hide are behind the couch and in a shoebox under my dresser in the bedroom. RB has seen him around the house late at night when it’s quiet. He has seen him curled up on the end of our mattress on two nights. I wish I hadn’t been asleep for that. I’m hoping with time he’ll come around.

I may not have a cat right now but we know in time we will get another one. One thing I’ve never minded doing is bathing my cats. I believe if you start bathing them young they’re used to it and don’t give you a problem. I always have to wash the cats in the kitchen sink because I’ve never seen a bath faucet tall enough to handle the job. Do you wash your pets? Where do you wash them?

We could use a new set of outdoor furniture but they can be pretty expensive unless you catch them on sale. I usually see sets on sale twice a year, sometime in April and sometime in September. The best trick I’ve learned to getting something like this is to decide what I want and may be willing to settle for. Then I save up however much I’m willing to spend on it and put it away until I find what I’m looking for at that price. The last set we bought was a wicker set. We bought it in about 1996 or so from a store named Rickel’s, when it was going out of business. It was a loveseat and two chairs and cost us under $100.

I’ve collected different things over the years but cats have always been my weakness. A good number of my collectibles have to do with cats. Three walls in my dining room are full of plates featuring cats. A shelf in my bedroom contains stuffed animals. I have a curio cabinet in my dining room that is full of cat figures. My refrigerator has magnets with of cats and cat pictures. Soemtimes some of them fall off when you open the door so hubby remarks from time to time that I should get rid of them. I don’t think so. Is there anything you collect that’s part of a theme?

Recently I’ve been seeing more and more pieces of what I call litter box furniture. I’m referring to furniture that covers your cat’s litter box. This picture is of a night stand I saw for sale on pawshop.com. I don’t get it. I understand why a person might not want their cat box right out in the open. I understand perhaps using a cover, something we’ll be doing soon so that my hubby doesn’t make good on his promise. But why would someone want to disguise it as a piece of furniture, obviously meant to be around other furniture? I wouldn’t put the litter box next to my bed or my sofa. Our cat’s litter box is in one of the bathrooms. What room is your cat’s litter box in? Would you ever consider putting it under a piece of furniture?

PSst. Yes that is a dog coming out of the cat box. I have no idea what’s up with that.

When winter arrives, as it has here in the Northeast, the outdoors can be a dangerous place for pets. Whenever possible allow your pets indoors during the cold. If you have an outdoor pet that absolutely cannot be allowed indoors, consider these five tips.

• If you have a pet that cannot come inside make sure it has access to a safe, sturdy, dry shelter.
• Rather than sleep on the ground, provide either a raised bed or straw to lay on.
• Remember the television show where the little boy stuck his tongue on a lamp post in the winter and it got stuck? The same thing could happen with your pet’s bowls if they’re made of metal. Use a bowl that can withstand the cold and elements.
• Remember not to leave winter chemicals out where pets can get into them, such as antifreeze and ice melting products. Don’t walk your pet where you’ve used ice melting products.
• If your pets are in the garage do not run the car while they are inside in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

You are responsible for providing the best care possible to your pet, even if it is an outdoor one. After all, they can’t just plug in an electric blanket like a person inside can.

Thanksgiving is less than a month away. It’s the beginning of the holiday season. People visit each other more, increasing traffic in the home. Here are some tips for pet owners.

• Don’t give your pets bones such as turkey bones. They splinter and can harm your pet.
• Some people might not notice a small pet near their feet when they’re entering or leaving your house. Be sure your pet is put safely away somewhere in the house if your door is going to be open for a long period of time or frequently.
• Do not allow your pet to get in the habit of drinking from glasses, particularly alcohol.
• If you’re going to be out for a long day make sure your dog has someone to exercise him while you’re out.
• Do not allow your pet to eat candy, especially chocolate. Candy, especially chocolate, is dangerous to pets and potentially fatal. Make sure it is stored out of reach from your pets, as you would be sure to store ephedra diet pills away from children.

If you have an electric blanket, you might or might not be aware that pets and electric blankets don’t mix. Never put an electric blanket in your pet’s bed and don’t let them get too comfortable on yours. Your dog or cat might chew on the wire and cause electrocution. Or, a nail might accidentally damage the covering of the wire or the wire itself, making it unsafe to use. Be warm, but be safe.

We have a huge litter box that currently is kept in the old bathroom. It does not have a lid or dome on it. RB has been having small fits lately because one of the cats has not been doing a very good job of covering his business lately and RB doesn’t like to look at it when he’s using the toilet. He actually carried on a lot about it at the end of last week until we had a fight about the litter box. At one point he told me if the cat couldn’t cover its’ turds then he’d squat over the box and do his business and see how the cat liked looking at it. I burst out laughing when he said it and almost choked on my glass of water. If he’s going to keep coming up with these crazy things to say I might have to check my life insurance rates in case I do choke to death from bursting into sudden fits of laughter. I was almost too embarrassed to type this but it’s so funny that I had to share it. So, who uses the litter box in your house?