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I wanted a blog name that better reflected the blog subject. As announced, the Adventures of Tuxedo the Cat has been switched over to http://www.theadventuresoftuxedothecat.blogspot.com/ as of Thursday, December 1, 2011.

I hope you will go there, and sign up as a follower. Thank you.

Tuxedo's Territory #44

Last night Tuxedo accidently pushed my writing notebook behind my bed. When I went to get it, she ran underneath the bed and started hitting me with her paw. Every time I reached for my notebook, she pawed me. I couldn’t believe it. She was fighting me for being under the bed. She sleeps there all night when we go to bed. I guess she resented me being in her territory. Eventually I was able to get the notebook. I made a mental note to be more careful next time.

The other day I went into my bedroom closet. Just as I opened the door, Tuxedo jumped on the dresser next to it and proceeded to whip me with her paws. Again, she fought me, jumping up on my arm. I took out what I needed and left. The back of the closet is where she takes her long naps. I guess I entered her new territory.

She’s looking for a winter nesting place. Somewhere hidden around the house that’s warm where she can take naps without being disturbed. She’s taken to my various bookcases. She tries to pull out the books so she can sleep behind the rest of them. I have tried removing books on bottom shelves so she doesn’t have to destroy them looking for a place to stretch out with her suddenly big body.

I know cats are territorial, but this is ridiculous!

NOTE: After November 30, 2011 this blog will discontinue at this post, and continue at https://theadventuresoftuxedothecat.blogspot.com/. Please go there and sign up to continue receiving Tuxedo blogs.

Cats Need Stability #43

Tuxedo is like a little child in that she needs stability. Or, call it a habit that cats like to maintain without interruption. Anything that changes in her immediate environment has an impact on her psyche.

If I move my blankets to a different area, she whines until I put them back where she is familiar. I leave her water bowl in the bathroom where she has access to it at any time of the day. In fact, when her cousin Angel visits, she also knows where the water bowl is, and uses it.

Give her different food and she gets panicky if she doesn’t like it. If I were to move her litter box I might find a mess where the box used to be. Tuxedo responds to a stable environment. What about your cat?

Note:           I have been able to set up a specific blog name for Tuxedo called The Adventures of Tuxedo the Cat for future reference. It is http://theadventuresoftuxedothecat.blogspot.com. Please feel free to sign up at this blog for regular emails about Tuxedo. 

If you are looking at the blog titled http://carolyn-gibson.blogspot/, please switch to the adventure blog. I plan to close this blog at the end of November 2011, so the blog will be on http://theadventuresoftuxedothecat.blogspot/ on a permanent basis. Right now I am using both blogs so fans don’t lose out.

Does Your Cat Like Water?

http://homesteadbound.hubpages.com/_2xqq6mr86s3p/hub/Cats-and-Water-Some-Like-It-And-Some-Dont

This is a really funny article about cats and water. Tuxedo is a water cat, for sure!

Tuxedo's Possessiveness #42

I am lying on my bed watching television. I look out of the corner of my eye to see two black and white paws appearing at the far side of the bed. Soon a little cat head peeps up. Then Tuxedo jumps on the bed and walks toward me. This is the funniest thing she does yet.

Sometimes I feel like I am on lock down. She seems to be everywhere. She sleeps next to me, and if I move she’ll complain.

She follows me from room to room, sometimes walking between my legs. She lies across my computer keyboard when I’m trying to work. I put her on the floor, but she keeps jumping back on the desk.

When I try to leave the house, she runs out the front door. Boy is she fast! Then I have to wait until she decides to come back in from the upstairs or downstairs. She will follow me downstairs when I go to visit.

I don’t know if this is appropriate behavior or not. I am home every day. When I go out to run errands, she gets frantic. She jumps on the bed and claws at me whenever I pass by. She starts to scream loud, and follows me everywhere while I am trying to get dressed. I have to pick her up as I go out the door. Then put her down as I close it.

At the same time she is smart and sneaky. If I leave the back hallway door open, she stays in the house. But as soon as I go to sleep, she runs upstairs to visit with Angel. It’s as if she says to herself. “Well, she’s asleep. I know where she is, so I can go upstairs now.” LOL

My HubPages Articles

Where I write other articles
http://carolyn2008.hubpages.com/_2xqq6mr86s3p/

Tuxedo After the Spay #41

Since her spay operation, Tuxedo has become a different cat. Her personality is full of energy and amusement and curiosity, much more than before. She even produced the ratty toy mouse from whatever depths she had hid it for me to play with her. She now likes to share.

She is so affectionate, it sometimes overwhelms me. She follows me everywhere, every room in the house. She sleeps directly under my part of the bed, so if I move an inch, she’s comes from under and waits for me to make a move. When she sleeps on the bed, she likes to be as close as possible to me. She never did that before her operation.

I want to get her a harness and leash so I can take her with me whenever I leave the house. I hate to leave her home alone. She is so sad, and tries to follow me out the house. She cries when she hears me in the hallway coming upstairs.

How close should a cat and human be? I’m home every day, and there is the potential for serious co-dependence. Is that wrong? She talks to me much more. I can tell the difference between her meows. One day she got caught behind some boxes and cried out for me. I knew immediately she was in trouble and moved a box so she could get out.

She loves sniffing whatever I have in my hand. Water, food, potato chips, it doesn’t matter. She wants to sniff it before I have it. Most of the time, she doesn’t like what she smells. I think she thinks it’s her job as the official food sniffer to protect her mommy.

She looks and acts so happy; it fills my heart with joy. People say it is because she was spayed. I think that is part of it. But I believe that clearing up her gum infection that I didn’t know she had is also a big chunk of her happiness. A healthy cat is a happy cat, and I know Tuxedo is very happy these days.

Tuxedo Recuperates #40

Tuxedo took three days of sleeping heavily after her spay operation. She was a little lethargic, and probably in pain. The hospital gave her 3 days worth of pain medicine internally. Since she returned from her overnight stay, she sleeps next to me, a new habit. She still wants her kisses on the head and face again. I’m happy about that.

After a few days, she was back to her happy energetic self. She began playing with her toys again. She didn’t need a cone head. I still had to try to keep her from licking her wound. She’s affectionate again, and wants me to hold and hug and kiss her face.

One thing – she fights me from trying to give her gingivitis medicine twice a day. I have to put an eye drop down her throat, which is traumatic for both of us.

The first time I gave her medicine, she stared at me with a look of ultimate betrayal as I held her neck. I tried to talk to her and explain why it was so important to give her this medicine. She just kept looking at me with her wide black eyes as if to say “Why are you doing this to me?” I forced as much as I could before she bolted to the far side of the bed. She licked her mouth and cleaned herself as if to get my stench and that of the medicine off of her.

I felt like a big asshole. Happily, it has gotten easier to give her the medicine. She doesn’t fight as much as the first few times. I think she’s just resolved to herself that it’s futile to resist.

When I see her all spread out across my bed, sleeping silently, I feel happy.

The Guiness Book World's Longest Cat!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc5M0aGc_EI&feature=colike

Tuxedo Gets Spayed #39

I just called the hospital. Tuxedo’s operation was a success. I agreed with the doctor to keep her there overnight to supervise her coming out of anesthesia, and to monitor her eating and drinking pattern. I like that better than sending her home right after the operation.

It’s so quiet here at my house. I miss her so much. She’s not here to follow me from room to room. No one lightly meowing to make sure I am in the house. No Tuxedo trying to zoom out the front door when it’s opened and running upstairs to visit her buddy Angel.

I picked her up early the next day. I was glad to see her because I barely slept the night before. I can’t believe how Tuxedo affects my sleeping pattern. I was expecting her to jump on the bed with some toy, or interrupt my writing, or try to put me to bed.

She now has a microchip. The doctor told me she has severe gingivitis. They gave me some medicine drops to give her twice a day for the next 10 days. They gave her pain medication that will last for 3 days in her system.

When I picked her up in her carrier, she meowed for a while until I got her in the car. Then she squatted down and never made another peep until we got home. The minute I let her out she ran for her litter box. I didn’t see her for hours. When I awoke from taking a nap, she came out from under the bed.

She drank water from the other room. Soon after, I saw her sitting at the foot of my bed. She looked like she wanted to jump on, but was tentative about it. I gently picked her up and put her on the bed so she could lie down on her favorite spot.

I’m glad I had the spay operation. She is a house cat, so having a litter wasn’t the issue. Now I won’t have to see her struggle in heat every few weeks. The operation wasn’t cheap. Still, I have satisfaction that she is safe from breeding and trying to breed.

Tuxedo is Going to Get Spayed #38

My Poor Tuxedo. She looks so miserable when she’s in heat. Her beautiful round eyes slant to slits. She hates to be touched because it makes her shiver. It lasts so long, and I feel helpless seeing her suffer. She’s a little over a year now. So, I have decided to have her spayed sooner than later.

I wonder if Tuxedo will change after the operation. Will she still be loveable and affectionate? Will she still like to be kissed on the head and face? Will she be happy not to have the monthly burden of looking for a mate? Will she gain weight as I’ve heard happens after a cat is “fixed”?

I know I am being selfish, but I hear cats change after the operation. Will she become a “typical” cat? Will she become the aloof and selfish stereotyped cat, ignoring me and no longer follow me around the house? Will she continue to lie on the bed and take her naps? Flick her tail wildly when I pet and kiss her face? I have so many questions. I’m so insecure about all these issues.

I feel that spaying is a way to allow a cat to be free and out of mate-looking pain. She is clearly miserable. Her butt is always in my face. She screams all day long, and half the night. Being in heat makes her tired and sensitive. It must be done.

I am researching a few places to take her. My nieces have some suggestions. I don’t want her sliced up like a dead turkey. I want her to live through the operation and without complications. I want a hospital that is caring and careful and recognizes how owners feel about surgery and our pets.

I am afraid, but this isn’t about me. It’s about Tuxedo and her need to be spayed. I will make it happen, for her sake.

Tuxedo's Territory #37

Last night Tuxedo accidently pushed my writing notebook behind my bed. When I went to get it, she ran underneath the bed and started hitting me with her paw. Every time I reached for my notebook, she pawed me. I couldn’t believe it. She was fighting me for going under the bed. She sleeps there all night when we go to bed. I guess she resented me being in her territory. Eventually I was able to get the notebook. I made a mental note to be more careful next time.

The other day I went into my bedroom closet. Just as I opened the door, Tuxedo jumped on the dresser next to it and proceeded to whip me with her paws. Again, she fought me, meowing loudly, and jumping up on my arm. I took out what I needed and left. The back of the closet is where she takes her long naps.

I know cats are territorial, but this is ridiculous!

Keisha - In Memorial

I have found it difficult over the past month to write about Tuxedo. I have a heavy heart over the death of Keisha, my niece K.W.’s dog, who lived in our compound. She was a small, red mixed Chihuahua with perky ears. She came into our lives at four months old.

Keisha was the sweetest dog I have ever known. She loved her owner K.W. with a passion. She would bark every time K.W. was in, or even near the house. She wouldn’t stop until her owner was with her. K.W. would walk around the house, and Keisha would be directly at her side. She was always happy, always. Her smile was infectious.

Keisha’s personality was so sweet. She loved attention. Whenever the entire family was together, she would go to each of us for her head to be petted. After getting affection from us, she would lie down next to K.W. as we watched a movie or played games. It was always a pleasure to talk to her and rub her head.

Keisha even got along with other pets. I remember when Keisha first met my sister E.G.’s dog Jordan. They were both puppies. She went right up to him and started sniffing. Let’s say Jordan is a bit anti-social. Still, whenever Keisha visited my sister, she always tried to be friends with Jordan. Over the years, Jordan softened, and decided to co-exist with Keisha when she visited. Keisha in turn, respected Jordan’s space.

She lived with two large cats, and was a friend to Tuxedo. She played rough and tumble with them. She would sit down and let them wash her every day with their tongues. I could often hear them running and jumping around the house. It was clear that they loved each other.

When K.W.’s daughter G.M. was born, Keisha loved her too. Everyone knows a dog allows children to ‘abuse’ them without biting back. She let my toddler niece get away with things that were incredible to me. She followed G.M. around like a body guard.

Eleven year-old Keisha died on Thursday, August 12, 2011 of a heart attack in the waiting room of the animal hospital. K.W., G.M. and I had taken her there for x-rays for her heart condition. I guess the trip getting there was too much for her. It happened so fast. Her last view was of her beloved girls, K.W. and G.M.. I know we did everything that could have been done for her. I know it was her time to go, but her death still hurts and cuts into me.

I know she was up in age, but I wasn’t ready for Keisha to die. Every day I expect to hear her bark. I miss seeing her smile as I pet her head. Her presence in the house was strong. She added joy to our lives.

It’s been 6 weeks, and I am trying to move on from Keisha’s death. I miss her so much. I grieve for her, even as my life with Tuxedo has flourished. As I struggle to accept the Circle of Life, my memories of Keisha will never fail. Rest in Peace, little one.

The Ratty Toy Mouse Part 2 - #36

I was doing some cleaning when I discovered Tuxedo’s ratty toy mouse in a corner under my bed where she sleeps. Everybody together now – Awwwww!

Then I thought – wait a minute. Here I was feeling sorry for Tuxedo all these weeks, thinking she was upset over losing that ratty toy mouse. I looked all around the house for it. And she had it under my bed all along.

I brought it out into the open so she could play with it. It soon disappeared again, but not back under the bed. She put it somewhere else where I guess I won’t easily find it.

Now the stolen mouse is under the bed. I guess my Tuxedo wants a toy mouse to sleep with, like a small child with a teddy bear. She must have another private place where I can’t or won’t confiscate it.

That is soooo cute!

Looking Out for Tuxedo # 35

The inevitable happened today. I tripped over Tuxedo. Rather, I apparently stepped on her because she gave out a giant yelp. I jumped, she ran, and I fell on my living room couch. Half on, half off, I was unable to get a good grip on the couch to stand up.

Did I say I fell like a ton of cement bricks?  As I am very overweight, I couldn’t get my fat carcass up from the couch. Of course, Tuxedo knew nothing about my arthritic knees preventing me from just standing up from a prone position. So she just grazed her arched back on my legs several times before she lay down beside me on the floor.

It took me over 15 minutes to get off the couch. I felt like a beached whale. My knees just couldn’t support the weight I was carrying to get me upright again. I finally took three giant breaths of air, held on to the end of the couch for dear life, and forced myself upright.

I was on my way to getting some water for my ibuprofen. Once I could stand up, I needed to get my balance back. Then I limped to the refrigerator, retrieved a bottle of water, and went painfully into bed.

I vow to rejuvenate my diet. For every ten pounds overweight it’s like adding 50-60 extra pounds on the knees. I felt every overweight pound hold me down. I have a long way to go. Still, I have a good reason other than I need to lose weight. I suspect I have many years of tripping over Tuxedo ahead of me.

Tuxedo Has Given Me a Bed Curfew # 34

Lately I have been on a writing roll, staying up until as early as 5 am. I guess Tuxedo decided that she’d had enough of my burning the midnight oil. Now, between 1 am and 2, she shows up and makes me go to bed. She walks all over the laptop, meows while hitting me with her head, and generally makes a pest of herself.

I don’t know why she chose this particular time for me to go to bed. But it’s been working. Rather than put up with her bullying, I go to bed around ‘her’ bedtime. I have to admit that getting the extra sleep has worked for me.

Today at six thirty in the morning, I heard tuxedo meowing for me. She does this from time to time, but not so early. As I was tired, I ignored her meows. I knew she had plenty of water and food. I hate getting up at six-thirty in the morning, so I tried to sleep through her noise.

Soon the meowing stopped. But a few minutes later, I felt her playing with my hand. I couldn’t ignore that, and I felt she really wanted me to get up. So I opened my eyes and saw her playing with my hand, and I played with her for about ten minutes.

Tuxedo then stood up and hopped off the bed. That spoiled feline woke me up at six-thirty in the “hell no!” morning to play with her for ten minutes! What cheekiness! She is so spoiled, and I can’t say anything because I caused it.

Note to Self – Start sleeping with my hands under the covers.

 

All Posts are copywritten 2010-2011

Tuxedo's Toys #33

I woke up this morning to a toy mouse next to my head. It was one of the newer toys I bought her a while ago. Clearly she left it there after I went to sleep. She does that so she’ll know where it is I guess.

Neither Tuxedo nor I can find her ratty toy mouse with the long string. It probably disappeared somewhere under something. I’ve looked for it. I don’t know where it is. Like my mother likes to say, it didn’t leave the house, so it must be in here someplace.

Her stolen mouse scares me. When she jumps on the bed with it in her mouth, it looks like a real mouse. I always scream when she brings it to me to play with her.

Looking Out for Tuxedo #32

The inevitable happened today. I tripped over Tuxedo. Rather, I apparently stepped on her because she gave out a giant yelp. I jumped, she ran, and I fell on my living room couch. Half on, half off, I was unable to get a good grip on the couch to stand up.

Did I say I fell like a ton of cement bricks?  As I am very overweight, I couldn’t get my fat carcass up from the couch. Of course, Tuxedo knew nothing about my arthritic knees preventing me from just standing up from a prone position. So she just grazed her arched back on my legs several times before she lay down beside me on the floor.

It took me over 15 minutes to get off the couch. I felt like a beached whale. My knees just couldn’t support the weight I was carrying to get me upright again. I finally took 3 giant breaths of air, held on to the end of the couch for Dear Life, and forced myself upright.

I was on my way to getting some water for my ibuprofen. Once I could stand up, I needed to get my balance back. Then I limped to the refrigerator, retrieved a bottle of water, and went painfully into bed.

I vow to rejuvenate my diet. For every ten pounds overweight it’s like 50-60 extra

pounds on the knees. I felt every overweight pound holding me down. I have a long way to go. Still, I have a good reason other than I need to lose weight. I suspect I have many years of tripping over Tuxedo ahead of me.

Tuxedo's Toys #31

I woke up this morning to a toy mouse next to my head. It was one of the newer toys I bought her a while ago. Clearly she left it there after I went to sleep. She does that so she’ll know where it is, I guess.

Neither Tuxedo nor I can find her ratty toy mouse with the long string. It probably disappeared somewhere under something. I’ve looked. I don’t know where it is. Like my mother likes to say, it didn’t leave the house, so it must be in here someplace.

Her “stolen” mouse from Angel scares me. When Tuxedo jumps on the bed with it in her mouth, it looks like a real mouse. I always scream when she brings it to me to play with her.

A Brushed Tuxedo #30

I noticed cat hair around the house as I swept the floor. I remembered that cats and dogs shed hair when it’s hot. I borrowed my niece’s cat brush for a minute.

At first Tuxedo battled me and the brush. She threw the brush around with her feet and tried to bite me. I persisted and soon she started to calm down and enjoy being brushed.

The other day she walked over and laid down all over my laptop. She’s never done this before. I guessed that she wanted more brushing. I took her off the laptop and brushed her. Her tail went wild with happiness.

Tuxedo laid down on the laptop one more time for a brushing. I guess you might wonder why she does that. I sometimes become consumed with my writing and work with a passion to get my ideas down on paper. She notices that and reacts in a manner that works for her. Sit smack dab on the laptop and get my attention. It works for both of us. I need to be taken away from working all the time. She deserves more time than I have been giving her lately. So when she wants attention, I give it to her willingly.

So I have a new Tuxedo. One that loves to be brushed and one with less hair to shed around the house like tumbleweeds.

Tuxedo is One Year Old - #29

On the 4^th of July Tuxedo turned a year old! I am so happy.

She is also a thief. She stole her buddy Angel’s only toy mouse. Brought it downstairs and plays with it to the exclusion of everything else. What happened to her beloved ratty toy mouse? I don’t know where it is. She lost it a while ago and I haven’t seen it. This new mouse is much larger. I think she likes it because of its size. It’s soft, and she can easily pick it up and carry it around.

My niece says Tuxedo can keep it. I was told the mouse has catnip in it. Everything is clear now. Tuxedo is a catnip junkie.

I still consider her a kitty because she has toddler ways. If I let her go on the back porch and hallway, she’ll always come back in and meows for me. Once she sees I am still in the house, she turns and goes back outside. Just like a toddler making sure mommy hasn’t taken off during her adventures.

I also love it when she lays flat on the floor, inviting me to rub her stomach. She loves it! She does it every chance she gets whenever I am sitting or walking from room to room. She lies down in front of every door threshold, looking at me to pet her. She seems to be doing it pretty often lately.

It only takes a moment to bond with your pet. Tuxedo is my cat, and I love her, thief and all.

Tuxedo's Ratty Toy Mouse #28

Tuxedo jumped on the bed and started to cry really mournfully, putting her paws on my arms. I knew she was trying to convey something to me. I didn’t know what it was, because I don’t speak cat.

She walked around meowing a lot, then silence. She jumped off the bed. A few minutes later, she brought one of her newer toy mice to me.

Clearly she was looking for her ratty mouse to play with me. I haven’t seen it for days. It’s somewhere in the house, either under or behind something. I’ll keep looking for it.

Don’t tell me cats don’t have feelings. They do.

Tuxedo Lost #27

I lost Tuxedo for several hours today.

With energy I got from somewhere, I decided to de-clutter the house. I went around picking up things, wondering why I had them, throwing things away or putting items I knew I would never use in a donation box.

After a while I noticed Tuxedo wasn’t following me from room to room. That was very unusual for her. She usually laid down wherever I was to watch me work.

I looked for her and couldn’t find her anywhere. She wasn’t in the bedroom closet, where she usually sleeps. She wasn’t in the front or back porch, even though I left both doors open for air. Once I checked them, I closed the doors. I opened every room door and couldn’t find her. I called out to her. Nothing.

I was a little upset. No matter where she went, she’d always came back to make sure I was still in the house before disappearing again. I went downstairs and opened the front doors to the outside. Maybe she was able to get past the barrier I put across the stairs, and slipped outside. I called out. She didn’t meow or show up.

I called around the house to see if she had visited them. No one had seen her. I began to panic. I thought all the worst scenarios. My poor Tuxedo was gone. I didn’t know what to do.

I sat down and tried to calm myself. What did I do today? I went through everything in my head, retracing the past few hours. I then walked around and did what I had done during the day.

I eventually opened the hallway door next to my bedroom and called, “Tuxedo”. She walked quietly and slowly out from under the suitcases, blinking and looking like she had been on an all night drunk. I couldn’t believe it. She had gone in there while I was hanging my kente cloth over the door earlier in the day.

She appeared not to be concerned as she walked around. No meowing or any indication she had been in distress. It was just another closet she slept in. What a nightmare for me.

This is the second time she has slipped away from me. She’s very fast on her feet. A lesson learned. If I’m not fast enough, she can and will go places she finds interesting. I now try hard to see where my cat is before I close a door.

Tuxedo and Angel Again - #26

They sit on opposite sides of an open barrier, staring at each other. They get along because each of them is staying in her lane. They do not feel like the other is in her territory.

I went downstairs to visit for a while. On the way back up I met Angel in the hallway. She hissed at me. When I said “Hello Angel”, she looked at me and came forward a little bit. I put my hand out for her to smell, which she did. But when I went to pet her, she backed up and hissed at me.

You would think she would know me by now. But I allowed her space and went inside my house. I thought about Tuxedo, and about what she does when a stranger approaches her. She runs and hides!

Tuxedo still runs out the front door when I open it. Now she zooms out and runs upstairs to stare at Angel. Like a toddler, she still comes inside to make sure I’m still in the house. Then she runs out again to explore the house.

Early this morning Tuxedo sat right next to my ear and screamed until I got up. Then she ran to the back door. When I opened it, it was the last time I saw her for the day. She ran upstairs, jumped the gate, and spent the day with Angel.

I felt a little abandoned. Still, I guess the companionship of another cat is better than with a human. I sucked up my pride, and managed to feel happy that she is happy.

Tuxedo's Theme Music - Part 25A

I wanted to add music to Tuxedo’s blog. I think she would want music.

I am trying the Amazon MP3 Pop Music. I’m not sure if this is her kind of jam. Hopefully you guys out there will let me know how you feel about Tuxedo’s Pop Jams. It was this or R&B cuts.

Let me say that it was difficult to find songs without swearing in it. Tuxedo is too young to swear or hear people swearing. The Pop songs seem so far not to have excessive swearing.

Unless I hear a ground swell of negative comments, Tuxedo is a Pop music fan!

Tuxedo is Affectionate - #25

People keep telling me that cats are aloof. I haven’t found that to be the case with Tuxedo. She likes affection and gives it freely and often. She follows me everywhere. From room to room, up and down stairs. When I call her she will come to me.

During the day while I am working, Tuxedo will come over, get close to me so I can kiss her on the head. After getting her kisses, she’ll either leave the room, or lay down next to me. When I am at my desk, she insists on sitting right in front of me and the computer keyboard. That was cute when she was younger. But she’s coming up on her one year anniversary, and she’s almost three feet when she stretches out.

Of course, there is a jealous side to Tuxedo. When I am on my laptop she will walk right on it. Sometimes she’ll sit on it and won’t move. That’s my hint that she wants attention. She is also telling me that she hates it when I am on my computer too long.

To get attention, she’ll bring that ratty toy mouse and drop it right in front of me. Then she’ll meow for me to play with her. Even if I move the toy away from me, she’ll get it and drop it in front of me again. She’s a persistent kitty.

Learning the Tuxedo Way #24

Today, this morning, Tuxedo meowed and meowed. I was fast sleep, when I heard Tuxedo. I swear she said “Mama”! I opened my eyes to see Tuxedo about three inches from my face, staring at me. I was startled, but I didn’t know by what. Was it what I heard, or the fact that she was sitting 3 inches from my face and I hadn’t been aware of it?

I got up and we went through our morning routine. The bathroom routine, checked her food, and let her out the back door to the porch. I thought everything was cool. But I noticed that Tuxedo didn’t stay outside like she usually did. She kept coming over to me and meowing.

She kept this up for hours. I had to find out what was making her so disturbed. She didn’t even want to follow me into the bathroom! It was really cold outside. It was over 90 degrees three days ago. Now it was 55 degrees. That’s Boston weather. I saw that she wasn’t interested in going outside, so I closed the doors. She started wrapping herself around my legs. That’s when I saw it.

Last night, I gave her the last of her regular cat food. It wasn’t enough, so I put some of the new cat food in her other plate.  When we first went to the kitchen, I noticed that she had eaten all of the new cat food, and none of the regular cat food. So, I figured she wasn’t hungry. Did she want more of the new cat food? There was only one way to find out.

I put some of the new cat food into her empty dish. She ran to it and started to eat. Wow, it was the new cat food she wanted!  Well, hit me in the head. I didn’t hear from her for a while. She checked to see if I was in the bedroom, and then went on her merry way. I wrote down the name of the new food for future reference.

Hours ago I was out of my mind trying to figure out what was wrong with her. I went through our regular routine, but didn’t notice that she liked the new food. I wasn’t paying attention. So she was going to keep coming to me over and over and meowing until I got up off my behind and followed her reaction to our routine.

New cat food. I didn’t understand her desire. The next time I will try to be more attentive when she does something out of character. She was acting as if she was a baby crying for something. You have to go through your routine until you figure out she wants.

As I write this blog I haven’t heard a peep out of her. She is sleeping next to me, purring softly.  I love my Tuxedo. But when you say there are growing pains with a kitten, I finally got it today. Case solved!

Tuxedo and Me #23

I am working at my desk in my office. Tuxedo jumps on the desk and goes to sleep in front of my keyboard. She stretches out like the desk space is only for her. I can’t believe how fast she goes to sleep. But I can tell it’s because she is happy being near me.

The room is quiet save my keyboard hits and the TV in the room. I barely know what is on television when I am in my office. I use it as background sound to cut the silence. Seeing tuxedo sleeping in front of me gives me peace. She encourages me to keep writing and doing my work because I know where she is. She goes into a deep sleep because she knows where I am. I guess we spoil each other that way.

Tuxedo is in Heat #22

Tuxedo is in heat. She’s crying at the top of her lungs. She hates to be touched in certain places, especially her head for some reason. Usually she likes me to rub her head. While in heat, though, she prefers to rub her head on my hands.

She runs around the house yelling and screaming and caterwauling. My nerves are frayed, but what can I do? She can’t help herself. The one good thing about it is that she gets tired fast, and takes longer naps than usual.

I feel so bad for her. She looks like she’s in pain. She backs herself to my face with her butt, her tail swinging sideways. I am not attracted to that, not am I amused. But I have to give her some latitude because she can’t help it. She is coming of age. All I can do is wait for it to be over in a few days. And look forward to the next episode until I can have her spayed.

The Story of Tuxedo #21

This is how I came to own Tuxedo the Cat.

She's almost a year old now, we think. She’s almost three feet long when she stretches out, and 10 lbs.

She was a stray that a friend of one of my nieces was feeding outside. Her mother told her to stop feeding the kitten before she got attached to her. The kitten kept going to the house, so the friend gave her to my great-niece Kiarra. Kiarra was supposed to give her to another friend as a gift.

When the friend told her that his building didn't allow pets, Kiarra planned on keeping her. She made the mistake of putting a picture of her on Facebook. That's when her mother found out she was harboring a kitten. Mother Kim informed her that she already had a cat at home, and her management company wouldn't allow her to have two.

So, now it’s December 17, 2010 and my niece Kim's birthday. Kiarra brings Tuxedo over for the family to see. Kiarra keeps asking me to hold her.  I was kind of afraid because she was so little. Kiarra finally brings her to me and puts her in my lap. After a few minutes I gave her back to Kiarra and didn’t say anything more about it. That's when the real plan came out.

Kim tells me the whole story about the cat. Now everyone has grown attached to her and don't want to put her in a shelter. They want me to take the cat! Mind you, they don't even know if it's a boy or a girl. The original friend says she wants her to be named Tuxedo, what she named her, no matter if it's a boy or a girl. We flip her over and pronounce it is a ‘she’.

I told them I hadn't planned on ever getting another animal since my two cats died over 20 years ago. It was too painful when I had to put both each one to sleep. Besides, I said, I can't take care of myself, let alone an animal. I hoped that was a good answer.

They sweeten the pot by saying they will pay for her food and kitty litter. I told them I'd think about it. I wasn’t sold on the idea. But my family thought it would be good for me because I live alone. Besides, I’m the only one of the clan without a dog or a cat.

Moving the story forward to Christmas Day. We have our traditional family dinner, and the cat is with us. Kiarra brings the cat to me. I said what? They said they thought I agreed to take her because I didn't say anything on the 17th. I told them I was still thinking about it. Kim says, "you have to take the cat because Kiarra is getting attached to her."

So after Xmas dinner, I tried to escape upstairs. I find Kiarra had been in my house, and set up Tuxedo’s food and water bowl, a large storage box filled with cat food and another filled with kitty litter. Overwhelmed, I got into my bed and pulled the covers over my head.

Soon Kim shows up with the kitten and says, "You forgot something." She plops her on the floor in the foyer, and leaves. OMG! I now own a female cat named Tuxedo.

My Relationship with Tuxedo - #20

I had to rip my bedroom window shade from around Tuxedo last night. Apparently she had been making small holes in the shade to look out of the window. Last night she got entangled in the shade. I ended up ripping it up to get her out. She looked so confused as I tried to pull her out of the shreds of shade left by her trying to get out on her own.

Half of the window shade is shredded to pieces. Yet another Tuxedo moment that will cost me money. I have to admit though, I laughed out loud trying to get her untangled from the previously intact shade.

I am enjoying my relationship with my cat. Over the months she has moved closer to me with affection.

When I first got her, she stayed in the living room in a corner next to a large plant on top of my stereo. She slept there, and in the morning when I stirred around, she would leave the corner and follow me around.

There was one point when I didn’t know where she was sleeping. As the weather got colder, she left the living room window area.     She would appear from I-don’t-know-where when I walked around the house. I didn’t try to find out where she was hiding and sleeping. She was a kitten and I wanted her to find a place where she felt comfortable.

One day I opened my bedroom closet to get something out of it. Tuxedo ran inside and stayed. I didn’t feel like trying to find and catch her. So I left the door open. She now goes in there to sleep for the night. One night I peeped in to see her way in the back of the corner. She looked back at me. She looked so calm. I put a towel in there on the floor but she doesn’t use it. She always prefers to sleep directly on the floor.

Lately with the weather changing toward summer, I noticed she now sleeps in a corner underneath my bed closest to me. She used to pop out from under the bed when I woke up every morning, but I didn’t know exactly where she came from.

Tuxedo is now sleeping right under me under the bed. Have to be careful not to step on her when I get out of the bed. She walks out and lays down flat, right where I put my feet. She rolls around and likes it when I pet her. She especially likes it when I play with her stomach. She attacks my hands like a predator. When she starts to sink her teeth in me, I have to tell her ‘no’. Then I keep my hand absolutely still and she recognizes that playtime is over.

How do you guys out there play with your cat?

I Love My Cat - Part 19

• Tuxedo is so pretty when she sleeps.

• I learned the proper way to hold a cat on the TV show, “My Cat from Hell”, on the Animal Planet channel. This is a show about anti-social and violent cats hosted by Jackson Galaxy. He’s like the Cat Whisperer. I was channel hopping when I caught a show. Very interesting.

• Sometimes I don’t know if I play with my cat or if she’s playing with me. She makes me drag her ratty toy mouse around on the bed. Then she’ll hop on it after stalking it for a while. She brings it to me whenever she wants me to play with her. She’s a little bossy.

• No matter what I touch, she has to mark it by rubbing her head against it. This lets other cats know that the object belongs to her. Her head has a chemical that other cats can smell. She’ll try to do this even as I am trying to use my hands. It can be as small as a nail clipper, to as large as a coat. Every time I wash my hands, she has to come over and re-mark me with her head. I wash my hands pretty often.

• A new excitement. Tuxedo let Robyn touch her! My niece comes upstairs on occasion, and Tuxedo has gone from running and hiding from Robyn under the bed, to allowing her to stroke her on the head. This indicates that Tuxedo is starting to accept her. Once I told Robyn to allow Tuxedo to smell her hand first so she can mark Robyn with her head, things developed quickly. I love it.

• I love the way she arches her back every time she’s through drinking water from her bowl

What do you love about your cat?

Tuxedo Learns a Lesson #18

Every morning, I open the doors to the back porch so she can get some air. I don’t like to let her on the front porch unless I am out there with her. This is because unless I block the stairs, she can go all the way down to the entry door. If someone didn’t know she was in the hallway, she could get outside.

Well, today I opened my front door to put out my trash. She scooted past me and ran down the front stairs. I called for her to come back. She looked at me, and then decided to walk down the stairs anyway. She knew I couldn’t catch her. So, Tuxedo decided to test her boundaries, and my patience.

Every time I told her to come inside, or went to get her, she ran down the stairs. I closed the door. Each time I opened the door for her to come inside, she would run down the stairs again. After the third time, I decided I wasn’t going to keep begging her. I closed the door. Then I got involved in some other things and forgot she was in the hallway.

It must have been a good twenty minutes when I realized I had left her out in the hallway. When I opened the door, she ran in as fast as she could. I closed the door, ignored her, and went into my bedroom. She cried in the foyer for a while, and then came to me so I could hold her. She stayed in my arms while I pet and kissed her on her forehead.  Then Tuxedo lay down at the end of the bed. A little while later, she left the bed and went to her special place under the bed to sleep.

So, Tuxedo learned that it’s hard out there for a cat. But she can always come home.

Tuxedo and Angel - Part 17

Angel is the female calico cat on the third floor. When the weather is nice, my niece and I both let our cats go to the hallways and porches for some fresh air. As they are both female cats, they are not getting along. I think it’s a territorial thing. Or, maybe it’s because they are both females. I don’t know.

Occasionally I hear Tuxedo growling and hissing when Angel comes into my house. Angel used to visit me before I got Tuxedo. In the beginning Tuxedo used to run from Angel when she came into the house. As she has gotten older, Tuxedo has stood her ground and protected her territory. Angel still shows up in the house, and they still hiss and growl and stand their hairs up in the air. But so far, no actual touching or fighting has happened.

I like to think that the more they see each other, the better. Tuxedo has started to look for Angel when I open the porch doors. I don’t know if she is looking to start some trouble, or to make sure Angel isn’t in the vicinity. I hope one day they will just get along with each other. After all, they are neighbors!

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Tuxedo Thinks Everything is Fun - Part 16

• I fell out of my bed this morning. I sat too close to the edge when I woke up, and slid down to the floor before I knew anything. Tuxedo thought this was great. She sat next to me on the floor. Then she started rolling around next to me, showing her belly. She apparently thought I was on the floor to play with her. Meanwhile, I was thinking how I was going to get up with my fat old self.

Without any help from her, it took me a while to get up. She darted in and out of my arms and legs like I was a maze. It definitely did not help.

• If I could throw away that nasty toy mouse without her going crazy I would in a second. But every time I hide it she walks around like a wounded calf looking for it.

• Tuxedo is a smart cat. When she’s outside and hears a hawk, she immediately goes under something, or comes in the house. Some tree branches fell on the back porch. She goes under them for cover.

Tuxedo is Growing and Learning - Part 15

I can’t believe how much Tuxedo has grown. She’s taken a big growth spurt. She is now ten pounds, and over three feet in length when she stretches out. She can now jump on high furniture. She is smart, and learns quickly. After a few taps on her behind, she understands that jumping on furniture is not okay. Now she knows when I approach her, I am going to discipline her. She jumps down before I can catch her. Like I said before, she probably jumps on the furniture when I am not home. But when I am home, she must respect me.

I know that cats like high places. I plan to get her a tall cat condo house, or put window shelves around the house.

She has taken to the back porch. Since the weather has changed and it’s hot outside, she enjoys going out. She will come back in occasionally to see if I am still here. If she can’t find me she gives a little ‘meow’. When I answer, she’ll either come over to get petted, or will turn around and go back outside.

I hope she doesn’t catch a small bird out there and bring it to me. Ugh!

Separation Anxiety #2 - Part 14

I’m getting ready to leave the house and once again, Tuxedo is getting frantic. I am home a lot, so she’s used to me being around. We keep each other company. Whenever I put on my clothes, she knows I’m going to leave the house.

Each time I get ready to leave, Tuxedo starts screaming and crying and running around the house. She knows I am going somewhere. She follows me all around the house and under my feet. She doesn’t let me out of her sight.

If I change my mind and take my clothes off, she calms down and wanders off once she is convinced I am staying in the house. If I actually leave, I can hear her crying at the front door as I return up the stairs. I feel guilty that I left her.

I have to remember that cats are social animals. They enjoy being with people or other animals. I know that they say that cats are aloof. Tuxedo is the opposite. She is very affectionate and patient.

I Have to Remember that Tuxedo is a Cat - Part 13

I became angry with Tuxedo today after she jumped on my dresser and pushed my alarm clock off the edge. I was angry because the clock was a gift from a real estate professional trade organization, the Institute of Real Estate Management® (IREM®) that I belonged to for over twenty five years. It was one of my favorite of all the gifts I had received from IREM® over the years.

When I saw what she had done I screamed, and she quickly jumped off the dresser. The clock was in pieces on the floor. When she approached me, I let her know I was not pleased. She came to me several times again and I rebuffed her each time.

Once I examined the clock, I could see that I could put it back together. After ignoring Tuxedo yet again, she left the room. Satisfied that the clock did not get broken, I had to regroup emotionally over what had just happened.

It was funny to me when she jumped on the dresser last night to retrieve her ratty mouse I had hidden on top. I thought how clever that she could smell it and went to get it. I was so proud of her intelligence. Now I was angry that she would go up there again and could have destroyed a very important item of mine. It wasn’t funny then.

So, I have to acknowledge that her behavior is typical of a growing cat. She is exploring her limited world in an apartment. I dealt with her natural curiosity when she kept trying to eat my bamboo plant. I moved it to the kitchen.

I have to reconcile that as she grows older and bigger, Tuxedo will explore more of her world. I also have to get used to sharing my world with her. Not just when it’s convenient, but when something bad happens, too. I have to cat proof my house and I’m not sure what that means or how to do it. It’s like baby and toddler proofing a house to protect household belongings and household dangers in those areas she can reach as she grows.

Having an animal sharing my space requires my patience, understanding, and love for my cat. There will be times I will likely tolerate her. Most of the time, I will love her, appreciate her, and forgive her. That is the grown up thing to do when you have a pet.

Tuxedo Mannerisms I Like #12

I guess every cat has cute mannerisms. These are a few of Tuxedo’s:

• She likes me to kiss her on the head while I hold her in my arms so she can take a nap

• She is so anal. She re-marks me all over my body with her head after I take a shower. This is in order to reclaim her smell on my body. She makes me laugh because I won’t stay in one place, and she chases me so she can mark me up by rubbing the side of her head on me.

• When the house is really quiet, I can hear the sound of her lapping water from her bowl in the bathroom. She always drinks water when I am in the bathroom. I think she feels safe to drink. She doesn’t feel like she has to be on the lookout all the time. I used to keep water next to her food bowl in the kitchen. She wouldn't drink from there. I think she wants a buddy to drink with her. 

• There is a 6 inch ceramic platform at the back of my bathtub where I lay my head and soak up the bubble baths. Since she’s been here, Tuxedo has taken over this spot to sit on and watch me shower! She doesn’t care whether or not she gets wet. Strange…

• I love watching her sit in the bedroom window for hours watching a bee climb the outside of the window screen.

Spring and Tuxedo - Part 11

The weather is getting better. Tuxedo likes to sit by a window and watch birds chirping and flying around. She enjoys seeing people and cars pass by.

I had to move my bamboo plant again, this time to an even higher place. Tuxedo is 3 feet long when she stretches out. More than tall enough to jump almost anywhere she wants. Thank goodness I only have one plant to protect.

Since the weather has started to get better, I allow Tuxedo to go onto the front and back porches. I leave the apartment doors propped open so she can go in and out. She goes out and looks around, then returns inside the house. She looks out of her favorite window in the bedroom.

As she flies in every 15 minutes to make sure I am still here, I wonder why she prefers being in the house to the outside. Then I remember that she was an outside kitten, fending for herself. It must have been rough on her at two months, by herself, trying to avoid trouble, looking for food, and not having a safe place to sleep. I can understand why she prefers to be an indoor cat even with the safety of a second floor porch.

As long as she is happy, then I’m happy.

Tuxedo and I Are Learning a New Way of Life - Part 10

I have to cat proof my house. Tuxedo is now old enough and tall enough to jump on dressers and tables and bookcases. She is causing disorder and havoc with my furnishings and my nerves. I am at my wits end trying to figure out how to re-arrange my furniture so my vases, and other paraphernalia don’t end up broken on the floor.

As a kitten, she is naturally curious. She likes to push things off tables and furniture to see what happens. She is like a toddler seeking to explore and push her limitations with me. After nearly pushing a bamboo plant from the top of my television, I had to take action.

I went to her, shouted “No!” close to her face, and then lightly hit her behind. She jumped off the TV. The second time she went for the plant, I repeated the corrective action. The third time she jumped off the TV before I started in her direction. Lesson learned so far.

Now, I don’t know what she does when I’m not home. Still, Tuxedo must learn to stay within her pet domain and respect me when I am around her. I am learning how to discipline her, and she is learning her limitations in the house. So far, so good.

Tuxedo's Separation Anxiety - Part 9

Tuxedo hates it when I leave the house. As soon as I start to get dressed, she knows the deal. She circles me and screams at the top of her lungs. She sounds like I’m beating her. She follows me from room to room as I try to get ready to leave, crying the entire time. I feel guilty for leaving her.

Eventually she will lay across the threshold of the door so I have to walk over her to get out of the room. Then she’ll grab my legs and hold on like a toddler holding on to her mother’s legs. I can’t walk. I have to pick her up off of me.

I try to trick her. I wait until she’s occupied with something else. Then I open the door and attempt to go through and close it before she knows what’s happened.

But Tuxedo is really fast on her feet. No matter where she is, when I open my door, she zooms outside. Then she runs up and down the stairs. She is too fast for me to catch her. I usually wait until she has had enough and return to the apartment. Sometimes by that time, she has decided to allow me to leave.

The worst part is coming home. The minute I start to walk up the stairs, I can hear her crying through the door. I feel like a selfish person, leaving my poor cat by herself. When I open the door, Tuxedo is right there, and starts to cry. As I change clothes, she will continue to cry and follow me around until she is satisfied that I am home for good. She will jump on the bed and take a nap. I take one with her, and when we wake up, we are both refreshed.

Tuxedo's a Jumper - Part 8

Like all cats, Tuxedo is very active around the house. She explores everything and everywhere, high and low. She runs around the house using my bed as a diving board. As she grows, she has discovered she can jump on things.

She likes to look out windows. I keep a window shade open in my bedroom so she can look outside and see me at the same time. One day, I woke up to find that she had slept on my bedroom dresser all night. Of course, I was not happy about that.

She used to jump off when I approached her and sternly instructed her to get off the dresser. Now when I see her and reprimands her with my stern and commanding voice, she just stares at me like I’m crazy. It’s a “What Do You Want?” kind of stare that makes me want to strangle her little cat neck. She is testing her boundaries.

I haven’t been able to keep up with her jumping on things. I had to move my bamboo plant to a place where I hope she cannot jump. She is so different from my other cats in the past. She knows I don’t like it, but so far she is having her way with me. She’ll give me a little respect if I give her a deadly stare, and will jump down. She knows she’s not supposed to be on furniture. I have decided to pick my battles. As long as she gets down when I tell her, I’ll take that and be happy. When I’m not home, she clearly has the run of the house.

Tuxedo the Spoiled Cat - Part 7

My cat woke me up at 3:00 am this morning to have me play with her. I thought I was in a deep slumber when I heard her loud meows. I think when you get a cat it becomes the same as if you have a baby. You hear every noise they make. So, of course I thought something was wrong. Was the house on fire? Was someone knocking at the door? No, it was Tuxedo, yelling for me to wake up to play.

I wanted to pinch her, but that wouldn’t have been nice. I just stared at her hoping I would hypnotize her into going back to sleep. Didn’t work. She then shoved her favorite toy mouse at me, right in my face. That same, ratty, chewed up mouse I thought I had hidden from her. I knew I should have thrown it away.

She kept pushing it in my face until I played fetch with her. I threw the mouse off the bed, she went after it, and then brought it back to me. Then after about fifteen minutes, she had her fill of playing. She was ready for me to cuddle her in my arms. She also kept lifting her head for me to kiss her. She loves it when I kiss her on her head while I hold her in my arms.

Once she was satisfied with her time with me, she got out of my arms and went to bed. She is so spoiled, but I love her. I can’t help myself.