Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Bye Bye Bella

About a month ago, we decided it was time to decrease our cat load. Our house is small and we felt like the cats were not getting enough attention. There was no way to pick who would stay and who would go, so we simply put them all on Petfinder. I said from the start that Bella would be the first to go due to her unique look.






Sure enough, we got a response. Someone said they were interested, even though they lived on the other coast of Florida. It made me sad, but I could tell she was excited to have Bella in her life, so we decided to meet halfway. Bella cried for most of the trip, but when the woman picked her up she seemed to calm down. I was glad to see that she didn't pitch a fit, but that's not really her personality anyway.

Obi Wan and Quinn are still listed at Petfinder. I've gotten a few emails asking if Quinn was still available, but nothing after that.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Dr. Quinn, Scaredy Cat

Since I've been home more often, I am here to snuggle the cats and see their behavior more. My husband often accuses me of not giving the cats enough attention due to my work schedule, and since I'm here more often I am trying to fix that.

My mother has been coming over about once a week to make sure I am alright and to attempt to put me into labor. (It's not working.) Bella and Obi Wan are fine with this. They may hide for a little while, but then they come out and ignore her. Quinn is not dealing with our visitor as well.

When my mother reaches the top step, Quinn bolts for the bathroom and hides behind the toilet. He will not come out until she leaves or until he is physically dragged out from behind the toilet. Mom has never done anything to Quinn to make him act that way, but I suspect it just may be that she is a stranger. Quinn apparently knows about stranger dangers.


I'm not sure why he has become so skittish. When my friend Bob and I found him living on the streets he was not afraid of anyone. He'd walk up to us without an issue. He'd drop to the ground and play with any passing dog. He was a very social cat. It just may be that we simply do not have very many visitors at all. My husband's friends and family are mostly from up North and I'm anti-social so I don't ever invite anyone here. Have I made my poor Quinn suffer from Social Anxiety?!

If you have any tips or advice about how to get him to feel more relaxed when guests arrive, I'd love to hear it.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

This is my fort!

This is my fort!

No. You can't come in.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Problems are afoot with Quinn.

Quinn managed to crack his toenail. In addition to that, which was probably miserable in and of itself, the toe got completely infected. I considered taking him to the vet, but decided to try the peroxide and Neosporin route first.

Insanely enough, we had no peroxide or Neosporin. When I went to the store to buy it, I decided to see if there was anything a little more specialized for cats in the pet department. I saw a small spray bottle that seemed to be for our exact problem. It was eight dollars, so I decided to see what made it twice the price of what I was planning to buy. When I looked at the ingredients it listed peroxide, water, and aloe. I was not impressed. I went back to my original plan and picked up some cat treats too.

If you ever have a cat that you have to deal with medically, I hope for your sake they behave like Quinn. I am constantly telling people what a good boy he is, but I can't really explain the full scope of it properly. When you give Quinn medicine and it's liquid he'll drink it down without complaint and look to you for seconds. He never bites, except for love bites. He never scratches you. He does struggle a little, but I'm dumping peroxide on his foot, it's to be expected. (Try getting a 4 year old to sit still when you apply peroxide. Same deal.)

Courtney's tips for dealing with cat claws
  • Swaddle the cat in a thick towel, so that you are only dealing with one paw at a time.
  • Work with a partner if you can.
  • Work quickly, but keep calm.
  • Speak softly and soothingly to the cat.
  • Identify the quick PRIOR to trimming anything!
  • After you are done, give the cat a treat and spent time petting him so that the cat understands that you aren't angry.
(The peroxide and Neosporin helped almost immediately. The swelling has gone down considerably. Quinn seems much happier which makes me feel better.)