One Problem Solved, A Bigger Problem Pending
This is Patches. Don't you just want to put your hand on that belly and give it some lovin'? I sure do! She plops down and turns over on her back right in front of me all day long, but if I try to touch that yummy belly of hers, she turns into an attack cat. It's so unfair! I keep trying though, I can't resist.
Patches has another undesirable habit. She insists upon drinking out of my cups of water. I have to guard my water vessels assiduously. If my bedside water is not in a bottle I hear her slurping away in the middle of the night. She will absolutely not drink out of any kind of vessel designed for animal water, and instead prowls the house looking for human vessels of the stuff, sniffing every cup or glass that has been left around. I thought perhaps I wasn't keeping her water (filtered) fresh enough so I started changing it often.
Nope.
I did find a solution though and here it is:
She will drink this! And she has stopped drinking mine, at least I think she has. Who knows what she does when I am not looking? She's a cat, and cats play by their own rules.
Some of you may remember Freddie, a feral (very) cat I have been trying to tame.
Ha!
My story about Freddie today is not so amusing as my story about Patches, not amusing at all in fact.
Yesterday he bit me! So I spent Saturday night in the ER, starting the rabies series. I thought about taking my chances because I DO know this cat. He was purring while I petted him yesterday but suddenly turned and sank two of his teeth into my forearm. My daughter freaked out when I told her, told me to call my doctor, then my doctor told me to head to the ER immediately. Ten shots later and I am looking at another month of regular shots. I don't like vaccines, but I would rather not worry about dying. I did decline the tetanus shot.
I have several pictures of Freddie that make him look sweet and kind. I chose a scary one for this post though, in which he looks wild and mean, like a panther. I haven't decided whether to continue to care about him or chase him away.
My psychologist friend, who took me to the ER and stayed the whole time, thinks there is a lesson for me to learn here about men.
All images are my own unless otherwise stated.
Ouch! Sorry to hear that. I think there's a lesson there to be learned about cats. Never trust the little blighters, they'll turn on you in a second.
haha! I sure learned a lesson about this cat.
But my friend does have a point. He's still getting fed by me, lounging around on my property and contributing absolutely nothing to my welfare, just like a couple of male humans that come to mind.
Wow! Sorry I missed this post owasco, very interesing. Did you figure out what the lesson about men was? I guess they don't test for rabies, they just start the shots?
I fall in love with men who bite me. I still have this cat. He's been in quarantine in my garage, now he seems to live there. And I still love him, but he scares me. Typical.
Well, but the cat is safe, right? I mean he isn't rabid or anything so he's not life-threatening so even if he's mean sometimes you guys should be fine. Is that the way you see it or am I way off? He looks like a great cat.
Yeah he passed quarantine so I don't have to euthanize him or continue the shots for myself. He is a sweetie! But I'm still afraid to pet him, even when he is nuzzling me, because that's what was going on when he bit me. But we were outside and he had just been in a fight (scratched up) so I think he was both skittish and I touched a sore spot. I've been feeding him for months and been able to touch him for about two months. He was very very feral! He bit the hand that was feeding him though. Some people tell me he won't do that again. idk.
Oh ok, thanks so much for the explanation. I think he'll be fine and probably won't bite you but he could. But since you know he's ok it wouldn't be a big deal, I've been bitten and cut up by deep slices from claws so many times I can't count them. But I just consider it part of owning a cat! lol.
Our old cat, when she was younger used to stretch out her belly.
I would catch her not looking I would quickly and gently poke it, saying "gotcha!" She'd try to bat me. I think we were both successful about 50% of the time. :))
When we got her as a rescue house cat, she attacked all the time. Now she only attacks my husband. But being an in the house cat with all her shots, at least we never had to do the rabies thing. I don't envy you that, but better safe than sorry.
I suppose, but I'm afraid of vaccines too! I feel so bad for the cat, who had just started climbing into my lap. I guess I'm lucky he didn't go for my face. There's a new cat out there now (I;m careful not to leave food out after Freddie has eaten) that is fighting with both Freddie and Patches. He really wants to come in and I can't let him!
My chiropractor explained that touching a cat's belly activates a kill mechanism in them - they kill by getting on top of their prey and clawing them with their hind legs. I try to be understanding.
Your cats are really something, lol. Maybe one was a panther reborn, while another one was a human reborn...you never know. It's painful to get bit by a cat...get well soon!
Thank you! So far the only problem is my arm where they gave me the vaccine is really sore! I don't want to get the rest of them!
Oh!!!One of the problems with feral cats. You should capture it anyway because if you suspect rabies of some sort, you don't want it to bite someone else, right? Have the humane society come out.
I love the story of Patches and the belly rubbing! My cat Buddy did the same exact thing, including the water cup!!! I kid you not!!! We did the same with a cup in the feeding area. Although he didn't like my cups, my daughter (than God, it would gross me out!) she tended to drink out of a bottle, unlike me!
I hope all works out for you and the kitty. Sending love.
!tip
That's wild about your cat also drinking out of cups until you gave him one of his own!
I have to call the department of health today to find out what to do further for myself and about Freddie. He's still hanging around my house, I'm still feeding him but not petting him. He's out on my deck right now grooming himself. I don't think he has rabies and hope I don't have to follow through with the rest of the shots. My entire vaccinated arm radiating down to my waist is super sore!!!
Thanks for the love. And the tip! You the sweetest.
Hi @owasco,
Thanks so much for partaking in #dailypetphotography! Please follow @dpet for upcoming events.
Our discord channel is up and running, come on over and say hi, lots of avil pet owners are awaiting you there.
https://discord.gg/GYrnsNm
My pleasure!
Hello!
This post has been manually curated, resteemed
and gifted with some virtually delicious cake
from the @helpiecake curation team!
Much love to you from all of us at @helpie!
Keep up the great work!
Get well soon!
Manually curated by @free-reign.
@helpie is a Community Witness.
Aw, thanks @free-reign and helpie cake!
Yes! Those darned cats! Can’t help getting conned by them. It makes you wonder what is going on in their minds.
Posted using Partiko iOS
haha! They're grifters.
I was bite by my cat Scary Mary when she was an outside cat... I was bit in the heel and had to get antibiotics ... Declined the rabies shots. Mary showed no signs of the disease..
First picture of Scary Mary
Yeah this cat looks fine too. I'm hoping the Department of Health tells me I don't need to continue with the treatment, I do not trust vaccines.
Did scary Mary stop biting? I love this cat and would like to bring him inside, but don't want a cat that I'm afraid of. This one could be for the rest of my life.
Mary loves me completely, but she is a boss cat and hates all the other cats in the house.. Even her 3 kids who are 2 years old now... Mary was separated from them for about 9 months until I took her inside.
hm. I'm worried my current cat is also a boss cat and won't accept a new one inside, but they seem to have made peace outside, even getting together to ward off other cats.
You never know.. it's a crap shoot..
Haha, animals are funny, unpredictable creatures... Humans, too, of course :)
Maybe the lesson is not to be too eager to please difficult beings: Patches with the fakeout belly rubs and feral, good-for-nothing Freddie? Let them work for it ;)
Yes that is exactly the lesson! Why do I choose to please difficult beings. I am no heroine who can "save" them. Is my wish to try to make an unloving creature love? It is a blessed task, but I've been there and failed at that. Do I really need to try again? Unfortunately, the creature has my heart. Right now he is in a large carrier in my garage in quarantine and if he has not developed any illnesses by Tuesday, I won't need to continue the rabies treatment. Then I'll have to decide whether to put the frightened and so scary cat back outside or keep him in. If he does get sick, it will mean his end and I'll have to go get many more shots.
Hmm.. who knows. Perhaps, you like a challenge, or do so out of guilt, or a surfeit of love. (I'm not just speaking about the cats ;) When you narrow it down, you'll have a better idea about feline stand-ins. Hope Freddie gets better & you stay well!