Hot Tip for Cat Owners

Cross-posted from over at Simple Pleasures.

This post relates to two of the simplest of pleasures: owning (and caring for) pets and saving money. I enjoy both of those activities! As a cat owner and cat lover, I've spent a fair amount of money over the years buying the kitty cat necessities: food, litter, litter boxes and scoops, catnip and toys... I started out with the standard clay-based litter, and while it was functional, it didn't neutralize odors, it scattered and spread dust everywhere, and it created a lot of trash. I know that clay is a natural material, but it didn't seem useful to put a bunch of dirty clay in the landfill. I switched to silicon crystal litter, and while it was quite expensive by comparison, it absorbed odors much better than clay, it didn't have much dust, and it produced less waste because less of it was required to be effective and it lasted twice as long per unit as clay litter. Still, I didn't like sending all those bags of tiny rocks into the landfill to fester in nitrogenous waste. And even more than that, I didn't like spending top dollar on something for my cats to poop on.

One day, while shopping at the local grocery mart, I decided to take the plunge and try something completely new and different: plant-based litter. While more expensive than clay, it is far cheaper (~$5 for 10 lbs) than crystal litter. The pine pellets are resource-efficient: in addition to being 100% natural and biodegradable, they are formed from the waste product (sawdust) of another industry (lumber). Perfect!

I bought a few bags and found that I loved the effect: pellets absorb odors as well as the crystal (I don't have quantitative data, as I don't own a smell-o-scope; I'm just judging from my own olfactory experiences) and when stirred to activate or increase absorbency, they emit a pleasant "pine fresh" odor. I was happy with my choice and worked on switching over completely to the new litter system. And then... while researching pine litter on the internet, I read that the "pine pellet cat litter" is actually sold very cheaply in bulk at feed stores because it has been used as horse stall bedding for ages, and has just recently been adapted, remarketed and sold (with significant price increase, of course) as cat litter.

I live in a small town in a rural area, so at the next opportunity, I took myself off to the local farm supply superstore and picked up two bags of pine pellets, each bag $5 for 40 lbs. While not everyone would find it practical to stock up on 80 lbs of pine-scented cat litter (I know, for example, that there are apartment-dwellers who wouldn't have a place to put it), there are probably feed and farm supply stores that carry smaller denominations that still provide the benefit of bulk pricing.

I'm happy with my purchase. And I'm thinking about putting the post-usage sawdust in my compost, where it is likely to not only biodegrade (nature has microbiotic organisms who exist to break down nitrogenous waste) but also to keep away critters who have been messing up my bin but may be dissuaded by the scent of feline urine. I'll keep you posted.

Perfection

Some mornings, when there's just a hint of chill in the air, I emerge slowly into the world of wakefulness under my pile of blankets and realize that all three of my boys are snuggled up with me in a jumble of coziness, and it's a moment of perfection that I want to somehow preserve and remember forever.

Lions and Tigers and Bears FOR REAL

YOU GUYS! It seems as though my plan to input Animal Control as a saved contact on my phone was utterly prescient. As everyone on the planet now knows, there were wild animals (including, yes, lions and tigers and bears) on the loose in central Ohio the very week after I wrote that, some miles west of my house.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/20/us/ohio-animals-on-loose/?hpt=us_c2 [Please ignore all the idiots posting in the comments section. This event ended up as a tragedy, but it is pretty obvious to any rational observer that it would have ended as a tragedy no matter what the outcome, because it was tragic to begin with.]

I was in California during the time when this whole thing went down, which is probably good, all things considered. I just wanted to post this to remind everyone that it's okay to be wary and alert, and bears (even black bears) DO get aggressive and try to attack people.

Mor Overwelmin Cyoots

A kitteh cat adopts a baby bunneh that lost its mommeh! Awww!!



If we work together, we can care for all needy, innocent (and incidentally adorable) creatures, whether human or animal.

Teh Cyoots Dey Are Overwelmin

Get ready to say "Awwww!" and possibly shed a tear or two at this heartwarming story of US Marines having a heart to care for stray kitties in Afghanistan.

Great time-waster!

I found this linked from the LolCats.

Play to let the cat nom 4 fud! Addictive. Sometimes frustrating. Sort of like a bizarre concept for pool.

Orang Tua

Mums and Dad have come for a visit. They very kindly drove from SoCal with a moving truck, bringing me most of my stuff, and the kitty cats (who are VERY GLAD to be done with being trapped in a vehicle). Honestly, though, my parents did not come to see me very much. They came to see Nathan! I was afraid that he would not remember his grandparents, but he smiled and laughed and went to them immediately. And that was nothing compared to the transports of joy he experienced when seeing the cats. *chortle chortle chortle* He was pretty stoked about life last night, let me tell you.

Willow always has her camera, so I'm sure we'll have pictures shortly.

Some time ago, I posted about how Touchy and Hobbes (primarily Hobbes) are able to open doors. I affirmed that they could open doors with handles, and sliding glass and screen doors. I mentioned that I thought it unlikely that they would be able to open doors with round knobs. Well, as it turns out, I was wrong. [Ha!! Take note. It's not often you'll hear those words from me.]

The kitties have been spending most of their time in one of the bathrooms here at Willow's Cottage, while we humans (1) work on constructing their outdoor enclosure and (2) wait for the end of inclement weather in order to construct the aforementioned enclosure. Aside from a tendency to scatter litter on the floor, they are doing just fine (there is no furniture in there for them to scratch, of course), but they hate being confined to one room. They meow and scratch at the door, especially at night, when the nocturnal creatures prefer to be roaming around.

Because the bathroom door closes with a knob, I assumed that they would just be stuck inside making noise, since they lack opposable thumbs and are too short to reach the knob anyway. But these resourceful creatures have somehow managed to get out of the bathroom, repeatedly. It's not a fluke, one-time occurence. Since we humans are always on the other side of the door when they perform their stunt, we can only make a guess as to their methods, but we think that they get up on the counter, and then reach their paws out several inches and wiggle the knob till it turns enough to unlatch the door, then pull the door open and stroll on out. It's crazy. These kitty cats KNOW what they are doing. They have a method and employ it on a regular basis.

The papa went to the hardware store and got some plastic kid-proof door knob covers. The cats have still managed to get the door open at least once. I am not making this up!

I keep telling my mom, it stands to reason that if there ever existed cats that could figure out how to turn door knobs with tiny paws and no opposable thumbs, it would be my cats.

SOS!

Or rather, SOC (Save Our Cats).

I need to move my beloved cats from the apartment where they are currently living, but they can't stay in Willow's cottage, where Nathan and I live. I need a temporary foster home for them until I can make permanent arrangements and/or get a place of my own (4-6 weeks). Touchy and Hobbes are sweet-natured, loving cats; they are great with people and love to play.

If you live in the Southern California area and have (or know of) a SAFE and KIND environment where I can keep my kitties, please let me know. I will pay for their room and board!!

What's New, Pussycat?

Cats of various types have been in news lately.

Feral kitty cats have been recruited to clear Los Angeles police stations of rodent pests. This approach has been successful at several other locations, including the LA Flower Market. Installing cats as a deterrent to pest infestation is being hailed as a safe, humane, natural, and environmentally friendly method for removing rats and mice, as opposed to traps, glue, poisons, etc. Furthermore, shelters are eager to offer viable candidates for the program, as it moves cats from their facilities and prevents them from having to put the cats down. For their part, the cats (who are fixed, microchipped, and treated by a vet when selected for the program) gain a safe place to live out their lives, somewhat naturally, being cared for but with a minimum of human interaction.
Read more about the Working Cats program here.

We have all heard that a Siberian tiger somehow escaped from her enclosure and killed a zoo visitor in San Francisco. The questions on a lot of people's minds have been things like, "How could this happen? Why?!" I wouldn't venture to answer the "how" question, especially with the police investigation still underway. But the answer to the "why" question is obvious: Tigers (and all cats, really) are powerful, lethal predators. They are natural, elegant killing machines. While humans are not their preferred food, tigers can easily overpower and slaughter even an armed person. When provided with opportunity and motivation, a tiger will attack. IT'S WHAT THEY DO. I've always felt safe in zoos and animal parks, but I have never failed to respect the instincts and abilities of cats, big and small. Lions and tigers, and other wild animals, do not actually belong in concrete and wire enclosures, being gawked at by locals, far away from their natural habitats. Have we gone too far in trying to assert our dominance as humans over the rest of the creation? I wonder if this will prompt all of us to re-examine our relationships with the physical world in general, and foster changes in our attitudes toward our roles as stewards.

Arrived

I was trying to post every day of December, in the spirit of Holidailies. However, I have to think that there can be a teensy bit of grace extended to people who put posting on hold for a weekend while packing up and moving to another state.

Yes, I survived, and so did the cats. The move was accomplished due primarily to my parents (who gave up two weekends to come help pack and clean), Jeff's parents (who helped me so much that it would be impossible to list everything that they did, and who have been as good to me as any human beings can be to another), many helpful young Tulare County homeschoolers (names unlisted to protect their underaged identities), and some people whose names I do not even know who volunteered their time to load the truck on Friday afternoon (while I was still working).

Jeff flew in on a redeye flight Saturday morning; it wasn't supposed to be a redeye, but it kept getting delayed. Jerry volunteered to pick Jeff up at the airport so that I could sleep. Rob and Candace had (Jeff's brother and sister-in-law) had driven up from Whittier the night before, so we all met up at Mimi's for Rosalee's birthday breakfast later on Saturday morning, then finished packing and loading up the final miscellaneous items. Then we figured out how to fit two human adults and two (unhappy) cats in pet carriers into the cab of the truck. and were off. I didn't think I would be emotional about leaving, but I cried a little bit.

The drive was long and bumpy, but we survived, and with only three stops (Gorman, Ontario, Blythe). Jeff had the harder part, as he had to handle the driving. I just sat there and tried to shift positions every so often, to keep my back and legs from cramping up. We enjoyed listening to KFI AM 640 when we were driving through the LA area. It's hard to find good talk radio that we both like. The worst part of the drive, by far, was dealing with the cats. I was terribly worried about them, and Jeff said it stressed him out to have me fussing about them all the time. I tried to relax. Touchy was such a good little traveler, overall. He mewed a few times, but then just huddled down in his cage and was quiet, although he did seem to look out of the window while it was still light. Hobbes, however, was loudly miserable. Mrow mrow mrow! I would talk to him and put my hand down by his carrier, so that he would know I was there, and that seemed to help. Eventually, he must have just given up hope, since he was mostly quiet during the latter half of the trip. I offered them water and comfort when we stopped for our breaks, but they were too traumatized for anything. They are resilient, however, because within 15 minutes of being introduced to their new home, they were cautiously nosing around, and within an hour or so, they were frisking about and exploring with perfect ease. Neither of them seems to hold a grudge.

Yesterday (Sunday), there was the big task of unloading the truck. Fortunately, we had great help from Sam and Mel and Dan and Jennifer. Everything got unloaded and into the apartment. Jeff said, "We have too much stuff!" Yes. Yes, we do. It won't happen overnight, but we are on our way to simplifying our lives!

I am working on setting up the kitchen today, as well looking at some other tasks. On the agenda for the rest of the week: going to the ob/gyn (we'll let you know if we have an ultrasound that provides us with the sex of the baby), finishing unpacking, getting into a good schedule with Jeff in our new home, calling OfficeTeam (for whom I have worked in the past, and who have done a great job placing me in employment, so far), calling other potential employers, contacting schools in the area to find out about tutoring, and seeing about re-establishing myself in WoW.

Countdown

In just three days, I will be an actual resident of Phoenix, AZ! I'll be moving my possessions into my new apartment, just in time to feel as though I ought to be decorating for the holidays. So hard to believe, and it doesn't seem real.

I will also be sans employment, again. *sigh* I think I'll be looking for some temp work to fill time, as it will be difficult to find a permanent job in the next few months, thanks to (1) the holidays and (2) my now-obvious impending lack of availability. My preference, and my prayer, is to be able to work part-time from home. I know, it's everybody's dream, right? But I would really like to find several hours per week of tutoring, that I can do before and after the baby comes. Believe it or not, I am very good at what I do, and thriving communities always need excellent math and science tutors. Do you hear that, Phoenix?! I tutor MATH (kindergarten-level through first-year calculus)!! I can also do all core subjects, plus standardized test prep, but math seems to be most highly desired. *ahem* A little self-promotion never hurts, right? Click here to contact me for an appointment.

Currently, aside from the logistics of loading our worldly possessions into the moving van and then driving several hundred miles, our greatest concern is how to transport Touchy and Hobbes, without scaring or traumatizing them to death and also without going crazy ourselves. The kitties do NOT like traveling, AT ALL. They have been moved in cars before, though never so far as from Visalia to Phoenix, and they have always made it clear that they hate, loathe, and abominate moving. =^.^= My poor furry babies!

Mew mew!

Touchy visits Grandma and Grandpa's house, and climbs up into the skylight frame, via the fridge. He's such an adorable little pudgekins!

Lassie, eat your heart out!

As many of you know, Jeff and I are owned by two cats: grey tabbies named Touchy and Hobbes. [We are temporarily possessed by a long-haired calico named Nala, but she will be moving out to be with her true family in a few days; we're keeping her while her humans settle into their apartment.] I have no shame in admitting that a fair portion of joy and amusement in my life comes from these kitty cats.

Touchy is pudgy, a bit clumsy, sweet and shy. He will come and hang out with me, and follow me around the house like a puppy, but he is not a lap cat. Hobbes is leaner and meaner, the alpha cat in the household. He is not a lap cat, either, but he does make a habit of sleeping on our bed at night, and I like it, because he sleeps ON my feet, and keeps them warm.

Hobbes is the primary subject of my post. He is a cat that is far too smart for his own good. In our old apartment in Fullerton, Hobbes figured out how to open door handles; we always had remind guests to lock the bathroom door, lest Hobbes take it upon himself to open the door and invoke a rather embarrassing situation. Fortunately, our current home has round knobs, rather than handles, on the doors, and since Hobbes lacks opposable thumbs and is furthermore unlikely to acquire them anytime in the near future, we think things are safe for now. But Hobbes also took the opportunity, in the Fullerton apartment, to figure out how sliding glass doors work. He knew how to open the sliding door to our balcony. Of course, Hobbes is only 11 pounds and maybe 11 inches long, so he could not actually MOVE the sliding glass door, despite his best efforts, but it was pretty undeniable that he understood how it worked: when he wanted to go out onto the porch, he would stand on his hind paws, hook his front paw through the door handle, and lean back, trying to pull the door open.

In truth, Hobbes has outdone himself. We now have a sliding glass door, coupled with a screen door, that leads to our back yard. It has been my habit to open the glass door in the morning, allowing fresh air to circulate through the house before it gets too hot (or what others would consider "too hot", since I myself don't usually feel the heat) by mid-day, and just leave the screen door shut to keeps cats in and bugs out. In the past few days, Hobbes learned how to open the screen door. Day before yesterday, I was out doing some yard work and heard a scraping sound from the direction of the house. I looked up and discovered that the door was opened about three inches, Nala was on the little patio, and Touchy was cautiously poking his nose outside, while Hobbes was nowhere to be seen. Oh, no! I ran and grabbed Nala, shooed Touchy back in, and began calling Hobbes. He didn't show himself, so I pulled a trick from the Bad Parenting Handbook and got out his favorite treat (powdered milk), intending to bribe him back into the house. I called him again and made the tsking noise the cats associate with treats, and sure enough, he came running back inside. Too smart for his own good.

All's well that end's well, but now I can't leave the glass door open even a few minutes, if I'm not standing right there to catch Hobbes poking his paw at the screen door and scooting it open. I'll have to rely on opening the windows to keep the the house fresh and airy.