Kitten Lovers: Cuteness Overload

[scorpa]

:!) I'm going to steal your cat!

Oh no your don't he's mine! He is such a lovely handsome young fella, I will never understand how someone could have been able to abandon him and his siblings :(

 

[Ian]

I take it through the pictures that most if not all of you are in the US. I'm in London, England and we have two cats, one is a year old English Tom with full nuts on, and the other is an English feral queen about six months old.
Our Henry is a domesticated breed and I guess all domesticated cats have the same general behaviour - cute, cuddly, like to be indoors in the warm etc.
We stole the feral from her mum when she was weaning them but her traits are totally different to the domestic, she hunts persistently, has eaten all the grasshoppers in the garden, and pretty much prefers to stay outdoors except when she hears the spoon clinking on her plate. She is also extremely vicious when it comes to a fight, she doesn't bother with all that arched back and long drawn out meowing stuff, instead she hisses and spits and goes at it with all four legs and mouth. It's kinda scary sometimes because she is only about four or five months old and she does not respect the other cats submission signs, she just keeps going until the other legs it, the neighbouring domestics that is.
Mind you, she loves our Henry, always plays with him, and him with her, like a Mr & Mrs kinda thing. I can't wait for the kittens.

 

[Moonbear]

We stole the feral from her mum when she was weaning them but her traits are totally different to the domestic, she hunts persistently, has eaten all the grasshoppers in the garden, and pretty much prefers to stay outdoors except when she hears the spoon clinking on her plate. She is also extremely vicious when it comes to a fight, she doesn't bother with all that arched back and long drawn out meowing stuff, instead she hisses and spits and goes at it with all four legs and mouth. It's kinda scary sometimes because she is only about four or five months old and she does not respect the other cats submission signs, she just keeps going until the other legs it, the neighbouring domestics that is.

Hmm...you've described fairly well the conditions of my acquisition of Ember, but she's much better behaved than that. It took a lot of loving attention though. When she first came home, she'd hide behind the toilet and hiss if I tried to pick her up, though I don't think she anticipated a human mom who thought the hissing was just too adorable in a kitten instead of scary. Whenever she hissed (and lots of other times) she got picked up and held and handled gently and when she stopped hissing and calmed down, she got lots of positive attention and treats and play. She still prefers to rough-house play instead of the cuddly scritches other cats seem to like, but is constantly by my side and is pretty well-behaved now (relatively speaking). Once in a while she still gets pissed off at me and growls or hisses about something, and my reaction to that is to hold her and make her be calm and still...no getting away and being left alone if she's growly. When she settles down and plays nice, she gets a treat. For all her bluffing, she's actually not as pissed off as you'd think when she growls and hisses...she runs off for about 2 min, and then comes right back to play some more.

There are plenty enough feral, unfixed cats running loose that unless someone is breeding purebreds, there's no reason or need to keep a cat intact here...nobody needs to let cats breed, there's more than enough kittens up for adoption all the time. I wouldn't want a male that wasn't fixed at all...their spraying is just too nasty. Like turbo, I believe cats should be kept indoors, or only taken outdoors supervised on a leash so they aren't killing the local wildlife. Ember has learned to accept a harness and leash, and gets to sit outside with me when I go out, though the last month, she was picking up fleas every time she went outside, so has been kept indoors until flea season is over. She doesn't seem as interested in going out since the neighbor dog left though...she seemed to get great enjoyment from taunting the dog, also on a leash. I told her she's on her own if she got too close to the dog since she was clearly guilty of the taunting. She didn't like the harness at first, and it took a few attempts to find a style of harness she couldn't wriggle herself out of, but we've finally succeeded and she enjoys sitting on the deck chattering at birds, and I enjoy that she can't actually reach the birds but still gets to sit out with me on nice days. I have a 10 ft lead for her, which gives her full reign of the deck, other than when she tangles it all up in the patio furniture.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Warning!

Head will explode from cuteness in..

3..

2...

1...

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/i-can-has-best-fwend.jpg

 

[Moonbear]

Head will explode from cuteness in..

3..

2...

1...

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/i-can-has-best-fwend.jpg

Awwwwwwwww! I'm not sure which one is cuter. :!)

 

[scorpa]

Oh that is so cute!

 

[Astronuc]

Believe it or not, this is a kitten - 12 weeks old and already the size of a fully grown domestic cat (~5 kg). He's a bobcat kit who may have been injured. Further medical examination is needed.

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7664/bobcat1xl3.jpg

 

[Math Is Hard]

Is this a baby you found, Astro?

 

[Astronuc]

Is this a baby you found, Astro?

No. This little guy was found by someone else who brought him to the wildlife rehabilitator who works in the office next to mine. She's the one that has the flying squirrel about whom I posted in the Wildlife Photo thread. I just happened to drop in the day that she had the bobcat with her, so she could feed it. I got to play with him for a few minutes. They have very sharp claws and fangs that are twice the size of an adult domestic cat, and that's only when bobcats are 12 weeks old. He'll grow 3 times that size to about 15 kg.

His behavior was a little odd in that he was more playful and less wild than he should be. The rehabilitator thinks he might have some head injury, which could've happened if he was hit by a car. He'll be undergoing more tests. The rehabilitator had to take him to another rehabilitator who had a couple of other bobcats. Like foxes and other wildlife, bobcats need to be raised with their own kind. I think that's so they learn from each other and develop their wild ways, as opposed to becoming more domestic. They really are not appropriate as pets because they do retain their wildness somewhat, and their larger claws and fangs could do some real damage to a person.

If one finds a wild animal that needs help/rescue, here are some useful sites to keep in mind:

http://www.nyswrc.org/

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

http://www.urbanwildliferescue.org/

 

[scorpa]

What a little cutie! I hope he ends up being ok!

 

[Math Is Hard]

I want this cat!

 

[Evo]

That is a cool cat!

 

[ScienceGurl]

Omgosh! Kitties! I luffs kitties. :P Those kitties are soo cute! :D

 

[Moonbear]

Mine's a bit more active than that couch potato cat.

She's always into something!
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4429/introublekl3.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5124/cattroublehz0.jpg
http://img205.imageshack.us/my.php?image=inboxrk6.jpg

A rare photo of her NOT getting into trouble.
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/608/onstairsnv2.jpg

 

[Evo]

That's too funny! She's become so elegant, look at her posture! And that tail!

 

[Moonbear]

That's too funny! She's become so elegant, look at her posture! And that tail!

She only *looks* elegant! She's a regular trouble maker! (She must take after me. )

 

[Evo]

My baby that died earlier this year.

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5117/kittenrv9.jpg

 

[Math Jeans]

My kitties Mocha (grey/black) and Chocolate (black)

Although, they do not snuggle like that very often. They are usually in my room stalking my gecko.

 

[0TheSwerve0]

Iggy & Twiggy
http://photos-203.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-sctm/v130/217/0/33202203/n33202203_31103101_6482.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v142/217/0/33202203/n33202203_31102013_4187.jpg

 

[Moonbear]

Awwwwwwwwww...kitties snuggling is so cute!

I especially love those fuzzy cheeks on Mocha, and that last shot by TheSwerve that looks like it's one long, contortionist cat playing in that tower thingy.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Omgosh! Kitties! I luffs kitties. :P Those kitties are soo cute! :D

Do you have a kitty, SG?

I love seeing everyone's pretty kitkats! :!)
(but I am sorry about the loss of your little baby kitty, Evo. What a sweet little face.)

Swerve, that last pic you posted should go to icanhascheezburger.com for captioning! That's way cool.

Ember sure has grown up. What a GRAND tail!

MJ your cats must be related, yes?

 

[0TheSwerve0]

http://www.thecheezburgerfactory.com/completestore/Doesthismakem128390613308906250.jpg

 

[Astronuc]

Ember reminds me of our calico Pumpkin who came to us the first year my wife and I were married and living in married student apartments. She was only a few months old and had been abandoned. So we took her in and she lived with us for just over 17 years.

In the apartments, we had tacky furniture (couch, chairs) with vinyl covering. Pumpkin used to dig her claws into the vinyl to exercise them. She would go near whatever scratching post or device we could find. She'd always go back to the vinyl cahir or couch. We even covered the furniture with sheets and rugs, but she would find a way to burrow in at get to the vinyl. The damage she did cost us the security deposit.

 

[hypatia]

Ahahahahahha @ done. That just made my day.

 

[Moonbear]

http://www.thecheezburgerfactory.com/completestore/Doesthismakem128390613308906250.jpg

That's excellent!

Ember reminds me of our calico Pumpkin who came to us the first year my wife and I were married and living in married student apartments. She was only a few months old and had been abandoned. So we took her in and she lived with us for just over 17 years.

In the apartments, we had tacky furniture (couch, chairs) with vinyl covering. Pumpkin used to dig her claws into the vinyl to exercise them. She would go near whatever scratching post or device we could find. She'd always go back to the vinyl cahir or couch. We even covered the furniture with sheets and rugs, but she would find a way to burrow in at get to the vinyl. The damage she did cost us the security deposit.

Arggh! That's so appropriate, because after a year and a half of leaving the furniture alone and being content with scratching posts, Ember has decided within the last two weeks that the sofa is a much better scratching post. She's even decided that the double-sided tape I've put on corners to discourage her from scratching is especially fun to dig at and play with. The squirt bottle has returned to the coffee table. And it's so obvious she KNOWS she's not supposed to be doing that...I'll hear her scratching, and the moment I even start to move to peek over at her to stop her, she's backed away from the couch, sitting very innocent looking. So, no hope of grabbing her while she's scratching and relocating her to an authorized scratching location to remind her of what's allowed (she takes off running the moment I stand up...my kitty is a juvenile delinquent ). I think she's starting to catch on again with the squirt bottle though...I squirt her, then she looks at me, and I give her the "I don't know what the problem is" innocent look that she usually gives me when I catch her scratching.

 

[Astronuc]

Arggh! That's so appropriate, because after a year and a half of leaving the furniture alone and being content with scratching posts, Ember has decided within the last two weeks that the sofa is a much better scratching post. She's even decided that the double-sided tape I've put on corners to discourage her from scratching is especially fun to dig at and play with. The squirt bottle has returned to the coffee table. And it's so obvious she KNOWS she's not supposed to be doing that...I'll hear her scratching, and the moment I even start to move to peek over at her to stop her, she's backed away from the couch, sitting very innocent looking. So, no hope of grabbing her while she's scratching and relocating her to an authorized scratching location to remind her of what's allowed (she takes off running the moment I stand up...my kitty is a juvenile delinquent ). I think she's starting to catch on again with the squirt bottle though...I squirt her, then she looks at me, and I give her the "I don't know what the problem is" innocent look that she usually gives me when I catch her scratching.

Pumpkin would just run into another room if we approached her while she was scratching the furniture. We used the water spray bottle to discourage her - but she never got discouraged. She just got sneaky and stealthy.

 

[Math Jeans]

MJ your cats must be related, yes?

No. They are not related, but they both fit in one cat bed .

 

[Math Is Hard]

http://www.thecheezburgerfactory.com/completestore/Doesthismakem128390613308906250.jpg

haahahahahaha! good one!

 

[Moonbear]

Pumpkin would just run into another room if we approached her while she was scratching the furniture. We used the water spray bottle to discourage her - but she never got discouraged. She just got sneaky and stealthy.

Thanks for the warning. I suspect that's what Ember has in mind too. I think my next sofa will be made of Kevlar!

 

[Evo]

You can get those lovely plexiglass corner covers that screww into the sides of your furniture. Dr Foofer has found the new armchair to be very interesting.