so I’m curious, how many Christmas cards do you send out? and how many calendars do you sell?
This year I sent out 301 cards and have thus far sold 43 calendars. (I usually send out around 300 cards and sell between 40 and 50 calendars.)
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How long does it take your more “aloof” cats to warm up to others? Just curious because Oreo is very hissy/growly still about Gypsy (the new puppy). It of course doesn’t help that we have a very open floor plan and there are no good places to “secure” the cat away from others (esp with the holidays coming). The puppy just wants to play and chases her when she sees her. We try to keep Gypsy on the leash whenever we know the cat is up and about, but it’s equally pretty tough to do that on a continuous basis. Any thoughts?
We have a few places the cat can get to. The puppy is not allowed upstairs and that is blocked off. So the cat can escape there and often does. She can climb onto the computer hutch, kitchen counter, or a few other hutches. She also hides UNDER the couch in our family room and the puppy doesn’t know that she is there.
I don’t have any good advice here, so maybe someone will chime in? It’s good that the cat has places to get away from the puppy (and I hope you’ve got a camera trained on the couch so that you catch the first time Gypsy’s going by and the cat reaches out and smacks at her!) I’m sure that part of the issue is that Gypsy’s got that bouncy puppy energy going on, which can be scary to a cat. Hopefully with time and Gypsy growing up and calming down, things will improve.
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And is that a little Jake and a little Elwood looking in the carriers at the True Bloods? Soooo sweet!
It certainly is! Here’s another one:
Jake and Elwood pretty much grew up with the True Bloods. They were all about the same age, and played and snuggled together a lot. SO sweet.
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LOOK at this!
Starr sent it to me yesterday and said: I placed an order the other day, and a new box popped up to show me my impact of amazonsmile orders. I took a screen shot and have it attached. Please feel free to share this to show folks how a few simple clicks can make a big difference.
Granted I buy most of my parts and supplies for my shade-tree lawn mower/small engine repair work, and I suspect my purchases are on the high side compared to most. I know every little bit helps, and I’m glad I can help.
(Thank you, Starr!)
How amazing is that? It is SO easy to set up your Amazon Smile to benefit Challenger’s House! If you haven’t already, go to this link and search for and select “Challenger’s House.” It doesn’t change the cost for you at all, it’s so easy – and look at the results!
Other ways you can help Challenger’s House: donate your Fresh Step points! Kroger Community Rewards! (You do have to set Huntsville, Alabama as your “preferred” store so that Challenger’s House will benefit from your purchases.)
And of course the oldie but goodie: donate directly to Challenger’s House – Paypal link and the shelter address are at the bottom of this page.
Okay, I’m done sounding like an infomercial (“IT’S SO SIMPLE, YOU WON’T BELIEVE IT!) now. 🙂
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“What you want, lady? Am doing very important things here.”
“Okay, I can take a moment to flirt, I guess.”
Snuggling with Unca ‘Fan.
“Lady, please. Don’t make me slap that camera out of your hand.”
At 3 am one morning earlier this week, I was awakened by the sound of a kitten calling for his friends to come play with him. The bottom of the stairs is directly across from the door to my room, and so the sound came directly into my room. I ignored it for a little while, but when it was clear it wasn’t stopping, I got up and stomped out and yelled “IT IS THREE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING!” Dustin ran back upstairs and Jake and Stefan (who were sitting in the hall looking through the screen door at Dustin) scattered.
That night we opted to open the screen door at bedtime – once the back door was closed for the night – and let Dustin have free reign of the house at night. He LOVES it – he scampers back and forth, goads Jake and Stefan (and sometimes Dennis) into playing with him. Even Alice looked like she might be interested in playing with him, though I haven’t seen her actually play with him yet. Fred puts him back upstairs when he gets up in the morning, and Dustin has taken to the new routine very well.
And everyone’s quiet, which is what’s most important to ME.
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Got it!
She is such da BAYbee.
Bloop.
::thlurrrp::
Yesterday afternoon I was going into the foster room, and Stefan ran in as soon as I opened the door. I watched to see what happened. Willa ran over and got all up in his space, sniffing and sniffing, and then came over to me for some snuggling. She pretty much ignored him until he went over to the food bowl, and then she RAN over and got all up in his space again. Finally, she unleashed the Paw o’ Doom – and he responded in kind. Then she backed off and didn’t bother him again.
So what I think we’re seeing is that she can get along with other cats as long as they stand up to her. Dustin is a very docile boy, and her bossy, forward ways scare him.
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“What? Can’t a Sheriff Mama take a break? The back yard is quiet in the winter.”
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Previously
2015: We like to say she’s “Floompfing around the room.”
2014: She swipes! She… misses!
2013: “Santa? Izzat YOU?”
2012: No entry.
2011: Annoyed Chuckles is annoyed.
2010: It’s Rhyme time!
2009: “Whatchoo MEAN ‘stuck in the middle with Poo’?! I THOUGHT YOU LIKED HAVING ME HERE, BLOCKING YOUR VIEW OF THE MONITOR!”
2008: Miz Poo says “I am TOO a kitten, and I belong in the kitten room! Go away, Lem!”
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
Ooh, I didn’t know I could find out how much my Smile contributions to CH were! BRB…….$30.26. Yay! I also set my dad’s up to CH too. He can call his Tech Support fee . We aren’t a Fresh Step family, sorry, and we don’t git yur fancypants Kroger’s out here in small town East Texas. I guess CH just has to settle for yearly and memorial donations (my sis who lives in Nashville but her in-laws are in AL thinks I’m nuts when I tell her where to send donations for my Rainbow Bridge Brigade. “You don’t live there” she says, “You’ll never meet any of the people or cats”. I tell her L&H is one of best communities I know. They give advice and real-life help. They listen to you, grieve with you, educate you and delight in the antics of a bunch of well-loved fur babies in the Anderson household, both permanent and foster. And if that ain’t community, well, I just don’t wanna know her.
Well said, Carol! Another Texan cat lady here.
I agree! We had to take our 19 yr old cat in to the vet on Monday, he went down on his back legs Saturday night, and on Sunday he couldn’t walk at all. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in May, we had some dark days after that, and on June 26th we would have had him put to sleep if it hadn’t been my daughter’s birthday and a Sunday. He bounced back from that, and we have had these extra months with him. We were at the vet at 7:00 am on Monday (my husband works there), and his end was so peaceful, it was obvious he was ready to go.
I guess my point here is that I can type all that, and know I am in the company of like minded people. No one is going to say “well, he is only a cat, and he was OLD!’. The fact is, I lived with this cat longer than I lived with my parents or my siblings. I look for him every morning, and I could have sworn I heard him purring on Tuesday, the day after he died. This community is very special, and I am grateful for it!
Purrs to you and your family on the loss of your boy. He obviously wasn’t just a cat, but a family member. I hope the many years you shared together and the good memories you made together help sustain you during this difficult time.
Oh Maureen, I’m so sorry. What a long, love-filled life he had. I’m sure you’re so grateful to have had these extra months with your sweet boy. <3
Maureen, I am so so sorry for your loss. While those extra months must have felt like such a blessing, nothing prepares you for that blow when it comes. Purrs to you and your family.
Very well said. I feel the same way about cats and people I have never physically met. L & H gets me started in the morning and keeps me going on bad days. You all are my extended family. Just changed our AmazonSmiles to CH. It had been Doctors without Borders but thought it was time to changes things up.
And yet another Texan whose Smiles account is Challenger’s House!
You guys are the BEST – thank you so much for your support!
Challenger’s House is MY Amazon Smile! Seems only fair, as I have gotten so many smiles from Love & Hisses.
Oh well said! It’s my Smile account, too, and I am going to use your explanation from now on. 🙂
I love that! 🙂 (And thank you!)
Carol-I agree. L&H is one of the best places to be.
Robyn-thanks for posting my question. I do think it will just take time. Puppy is going to be only 3 months on Christmas and the cat is about 3 1/2 yrs. It’s like introducing a new baby to a teenager. They are resentful and rude at first but eventually get to the “meh” stage. Plus, we did get a folding gate that can be maneuvered around-so that will help also.
“Even Alice looked like she might be interested in playing with him…”! Could Aunt Alice soon have kittens sitting at her paws, absorbing her cat wisdom? Would she even put up with dweeby little foster nieces/nephew kittens without unleashing the Paw o’ Doom and then singing them a song of her people in a high-pitched scream?
A girl can hope. It’s Christmas.
All the best wishes for a wonderful Christmas to you and Fred, and all of your lucky, happy kitties. And thank you for making me smile and laugh.
That’s a good dream to have – but I wouldn’t hold your breath. 😉
Advice for puppy + cat
I would say that it would take a least a month for them to adjust to each other. Give the cat high places where she can get away from the puppy – add shelves and cat trees on both the first and second floors, but especially the first floor where the puppy is. Excerise the puppy a lot – you might have to take her for extra walks or take her to a dog park where you can throw a toy for her. This will tire her out so she won’t have as much energy left to go after Oreo. You can also try the Feliway or Rescue Remedy pheromones for Oreo.
Let Gyspy know that it’s not acceptable to go after the cat – maybe you can say the word NO and immediately put her in the crate for a few minutes. I take it that Gyspy is not a breed with a high prey drive…?
Hopefully you introduced them slowly in the first place, but if not, you may want to try separating and re-introducing. Put Gypsy in her own room and let Oreo stay in the house. Rub a towel over the puppy and place it under the cat’s food dish (and vice versa). Let the cat explore the puppy’s room while the puppy goes out in the house, so their smells intermingle. Finally, let them have a few supervised visits while the puppy is on a leash.
Hopefully this helps. I adopted out a young cat to a family about a year ago and it took a few months for the new cat and existing cat to learn to get along. I think it helped when the family moved houses and the new house became a neutral territory. (Not saying that you have to move! but I think that shows that it’s all about feeling secure in your territory if you are a cat.) Hopefully Oreo and Gyspy will work things out. Good luck!
I was also going to ask if you had a cat tree, the higher the better! Even my very skittish cat will come out and go up in the cat tree, I know from watching Jackson Galaxy that is their comfort zone.
My Coco calls out in the middle of the night for her friend to come play with her – except by “friend” she means me. She likes to do this in the stairwell where she can get maximum echo & sound effect.
This made me laugh out loud!
I promise, I would have bought one of your calendars but my daughter sent me a Calendar of Men in Kilts.
True, they could be holding kittens.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Men in kilts with kittens! I’d buy that. 🙂
I checked as I often do to see the previous year’s posts….saw the one about Elwood and clicked…said “shit, has it already been FOUR years since he passed..” then looked at THAT post and said “SHIT! Has it been 7 years since Mr Boogers was lost…!” and then said “Guurl, you are OLD…and you’ve been following Robyn for fucking ever!” Pretty sure I can dig around and find calendars for all of those years (she says as Sugarbutt stares down at her from the Dec2016 page). Sigh….
Time flies, doesn’t it? :/