Smart Kitties!

Wow! Beasley is so smart! I got home from work yesterday, changed into jeans and put on socks - then my sneakers - and he figured out that I was going out. He made sure that for the hour I watched TV, he was getting his cuddles....

Cats are so smart! Do you notice how that your cat moves the water bowl around the kitchen floor???? I bet you think it's because your cat is "strange" too.. Well, not really.

Your cat can't see the clear water and tell the level in the bowl. So, your cat will jiggle the bowl to get a reflection from ambient light on the surface of the water, thus not getting a wet nose (he can drown) and getting a drink for his trouble. A nice thing to do for your cat might be to put a drop of food coloring in the water. Some color that contrasts with the bowl would be nice. Just something so your cat can tell the water level in the bowl. Try a water fountain, too. There are a couple of good ones on the market. The sparkling water helps the cat "see" it.

Another example of how cats are smart:
Cats figure out what we are about, even if we don't tell them. I tend to start packing for a trip several days in advance. There's nothing worse than getting to my destination and find that I've left a crucial item at home - several hours or states away. I either have to buy a new one or do without. Some things, like medication, you have trouble replacing and if you don't you could be in very serious trouble. And the expense of replacing things really cuts into the enjoyment of your trip! So, I begin packing several days in advance. I make a list of things that I need to bring with me. I start putting the clean clothes in the suitcase, the "extra makeup bag" and so on. My cats figure out right away - as soon as they see the suitcase - that I'm leaving them. They begin to act out right away.

Now, after all these years, and several trips a year, you would think my cats have it figured out that only when the suitcase is full, zipped up and by the front door, am I really leaving, but NO! They never seem to get that part.....

They act out - get clingy and aloof at the same time. Some get really clingy because they know I'm leaving, They ask for extra food, cuddles, time. Then, the others who are really attached to me but don't like the others to know it, they begin to act aloof and like it doesn't hurt that mom is going away for a few days. They want no pets, no cuddles, no attention at all. I become invisible to them.....

Then, the day comes when I actually leave. They all ignore me as I leave. It's like I'm heading off to work or something. They don't make a big deal about it.

While I'm gone, they sleep, play and eat just fine. I always have someone come in to care for them, (too many for a kennel) so they always have the front door opening and closing. Maybe this is why they ignore me for a few minutes when I come home. They are used to someone coming in.

When I come home from work, I have 5 kitties at the door to greet me, nearly every day. But when I've been gone for a few days, they ignore me completely. I catch them asleep & yawning when the door opens, or picking on each other, or playing - if one is fully asleep when I return or my neighbors have been particularly active while I was gone, going up & down the stairs a lot, all of my cats just ignore all the stair sounds until the front door opens. I catch them doing all kinds of things. But within about 5 minutes, when they realize it's me, they all come for cuddles & food.

I start with my usual, scoop-n-smooch for Beasley, then food. I work my way through them all for a cuddle while I begin to unpack and sort out my suitcases. By the time that's all done, they are comfortable, fed, loving and sleepy. We snuggle down for a few hours and the trip is forgotten - until next time.

May your cats always love you when you come home. Give them snuggles for me.....