ALL THE BIRDIES GO TWEET TWEET TWEET

I heard a great story from one of our good library patrons. An avid reader. Bob H. often comes in to check out books, and when he does we swap cat/bird tales. Of course I'm always threatening to send a few of my "guys" down his way to deal with his lively birds. Sadly, the female parakeet (at least he thinks " she" was) died a short while ago. The male seems quiet- contented with his lot, and maybe even happier now that he has Bob's attention all to himself. What a paradise-the cage door is always left open so he can come and go as he wants-even to putting himself to "bed" at night all on his own.....The quirk that got my attention today, however, was that Bob said the little chirper now sings along with the radio-loves contemporary pop. However, NO JAZZ-maybe can't scat?? Perhaps the syncopation is too complex?..... I suggested that he turn the dial to classical music-see if Mozart or Bach does the trick. If not, my felines could come down to provide some lessons......Reminds me of the UTube film phenomenon of the parrot dancing to the Back Street Boys. Boy, that parakeet family sure has rhythm. CHIRP, PEEP-and BEE BOP A LOOLAH!

COPY CAT/ or B&W x 2

As you all have surmised by now, the population of felines at my house rises and falls like the tide, depending on the season and crowding of our shelters. Right now, shall we say, I'm at Peak Capacity. Having said that, I will tell you what happened over the weekend. The weather here in Massachusetts has been sunny and much warmer than usual, so I allowed two of my own cats permission to go out on the deck . Later in the afternoon I was surprised to see my little foster Tuxedo (black and white) , Socksy, sitting on the railing looking in the kitchen window at me. My cat, Jane was nearby, so I opened the back door and they both ran in. About an hour later, I
heard great hissing and growling coming from the stairs and headed that way to see which ones were fussing at each other. "Socksy" met me halfway, very upset, and tried to attack my legs. Luckily, I had on jeans and received only a minor scratch , but I told her she'd better calm down, or the shelter's cages loomed. I couldn't figure out why this normally shy and sweet girl was so agitated and agressive. Climbing the stairs, I heard meowing, so I went to check on the Ragdoll kitten and little all-black foster girl. To my GREAT SURPRISE, there was Socksy sitting calmly in the doorway to her room. Uh oh.....Who was downstairs in the kitchen? Doing rapid calculations, I realized that he must be new in the neighborhood, was curious, and came in to see what was going on in this house! After an hour or so, he got scared, and that was why he tried to claw me and was so upset. I ran to the front door, opened it, and luckily he ran out! Now I'm wondering if my house is becoming one of those magnets, attracting all sorts of strays......By the way, did you know that during the Great Depression, when many people were walking the roads looking for work, sympathetic homeowners would come out with soup and bread, even if they could not help them in any other way. The so-called "hobos" would then draw primitive pictures of cats on their fences, telling other travellers that" here dwells someone with a kind heart". I'd like to think that my fence has lots of these drawings-even if they are invisible to the naked eye.....

CROSSING THE RAINBOW BRIDGE....PET LOSS

I'm going to write a story about dealing with the death of pets---putting off the inevitable, finding a sympathetic vet, surrounding yourself with friends who care and have been through it themselves. I'd like to solicit tales from all of you about your experiences. You may send them to my email jkleven@sailsinc.org. I will use only your pet's name in this blog, so that you will remain anonymous. The biggest problem seems to be WHEN to do IT. We all put the decision off too long, much too often, thinking of our own pain (I'm a murderer), rather than the increasing discomfort of our beloved animal. I'm hoping, through our empathetic writing, to help each of us to pass through this process with less pain and hesitation. I'll confess right up front that I waited too long when it was my Siamese, KoKo's, time. After weeks of lethargy and little appetite, and vet appointments, one Sunday morning, I could stand it no longer and took him to the wonderful folks at Buzzards Bay Veterinary Associates. The first thing they said to me was "You're performing a great mercy". I'll never forget that, nor their gently handing him to me wrapped in a soft fleece so that I could hold him until it was time to let him go---forever.
February 13th I just learned that little Bijou, beloved pet of my friend/cat sitter and advisor Carol, crossed the Bridge a few days ago after a long, valiant struggle with Diabetes. They were both so fortunate to share each other's company for many years-even travelling to Florida by airplane. (Beej wasn't too thrilled with zooming through the air, you can bet!)

RAGGEDY ANDY-PURRFECT RAGDOLL READY TO BE ADOPTED

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It was about 10 degrees here in Marion yesterday, when I was given a little bundle of wiggling happiness-a Ragdoll-mix kitten about six months old. This type of cat lives up to its name-it is floppy and friendly, just like a big toy. Andy is creamy white and has the "points'", or colored areas around the eyes and paws, much like the Siamese and Himalyans. Big blue eyes follow you everywhere. The "raggies" are known to be low-keyed, but playful at the same time. This little guy had been in my house only a few hours when he wanted to be in my lap purring up a storm. (I told him he needed to give lessons to my other shy guys. ) The only problem I have now is that he wants OUT of his room to explore every nook and cranny of the house. As I wrote in the blog about adding new animals to a household, PET INTROS., this will happen slowly because the other cats aren't too sure what Andy is all about. He's like the the kid on the playground who just comes up and says, "Let's play now!". Rags are known to have many other dog-like qualities too, such as just wanting to be with you all the time...... What's not to like?....... For more information about R.A. please call CAUSE FOR PAWS at 508-758-9202 or email me: jkleven@sailsinc.org. Monday 2/9/06 update: Andy is all over the house, making friends right and left. He's a little like Speedy Gonzales of cartoon fame. After a few hours of this, it's "nap time" and he is put in his room to quiet down. Every object is a toy, but his favorite is the laser light pen-He can't EVER seem to catch the darn thing!

PET INTROS. NO MATCH.COM

So you've decided to add a pet to your household.....It could be another cat, or maybe a dog to a feline household. Number One Rule----Be patient! The new pet must be isolated in a separate room for several days, or up to a week, before meeting a new "sibling". Family members should spend a lot of time with Fluffy or Fido, insuring that he/she will begin to feel at home. Then, by going back into the rest of the house, carrying the pet's scent, the other four-footed member(s) will be aware that something new is in town...... The STANDARD TIMES recently printed an angry letter from a rescue worker who was responding to a previous column. Apparently, a rescued Retriever had chased the new owner's cat mercilessly. As she said, "It is absolutely absurd to expect a strange animal let loose in your home to instinctively understand how to behave correctly." From my experience, this goes for multiple cat households, as well as dog/cat mixed ones. We Cause for Paws workers are always at the end of the phone with gentle suggestions as to how to accomodate our curious/fearful/in-your-face/bouncy/friendly rescues and to get them integrated calmly and successfully. The article's author, Liz Fay, also added a website to help with canine/feline peaceful interaction: http//www.canismajor.com/dog/dogscats.html. Good luck to all you new owners with hearts and homes big enough to care for the many, many homeless animals in need of much TLC!