So...if my issues with my ambitious editor Maxine weren't enough...
I'd just returned from the airport where, much to Maxine's chagrin, they wouldn't permit me to board the plane as her comfort human. Something about her papers not being in order. I calmed her down by telling her they're showing "Halloween Ends" on her flight. That didn't calm her down. Now I know why they call it "caterwauling."
Then I return home -- in this case, my sister's house, since I've been availing myself of her hospitality over the holidays to assuage my usual end of another year bout of depression -- to discover my niece putting Melissa, their Maine Coon beast, into the back of their SUV. She appears to be under the weather. I jumped in and we sped off to the Animal Hospital in Port Jefferson Station, 10 minutes from their house.
Turns out the darn cat had eaten some cheese off the kitchen counter that my absent-minded sister had forgotten to put back in the fridge. The vet gave Melissa a tablet of Cerenia, an antiemetic, and she seemed o.k. if still a bit miffed at having to pay a visit to the vet. Here she is being carried by my niece Kiana:
Hugs,
Sammy
Comments
Magnificent!
That is one magnificent floof!! Hopefully her belly recovers quickly from being a cheese-thief!
Beauty
That cat is a beauty. Hope she gets back to normal quickly.
OMG!
She's Beautiful! Hugs, Popcorn Lady
Ps, your niece too! lol
Wow
As a dog person I didn’t know cats get that big.
hugs :)
Michelle SidheElf Amaianna
Maine Coons
They call Maine Coons the Gentle Giants, and they're so loyal and loving they
might as well be dogs. Mine was so sweet, and she followed me everywhere,
but while she was pretty large and used to chase + terrify great big dogs,
she never got THAT big! Unless that woman is quite small
it's almost hard to believe that picture isn't photoshopped.
10 years later I miss my precious Gojira every single day.
~hugs, Veronica
What borders on pure insanity?
Canada and Mexico.
.
Cat Love
Believe some of my cats have Main Coon Cat in them although not full blood. Mindy I picked up in the field by the cow shed. She was just big enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Nearly lost her twice as she was growing up. She has tuffs out the side of her face like a Bobcat, a black beard under her chin, and the longest tail I ever saw on a cat. She's a small calico which I believe is due to almost losing her when she was growing up. She's my only house cat. I named Princess when he was a couple days old and she turned out to be a he not a she. He is a semi house cat and was born in my bed. He's one of the largest cats I've seen which makes me think there is some Coon Cat in all the cats around me. They are all as gentle as can be but for our cats that's not unusual. All my life I've always had cats that wanted their lap time. Probably because I love all the animals.
Hugs SammyC, some of the best love comes on four legs.
Barb
Ever notice if you get hurt, the cats will crawl up in bed with you and lay on or next to the hurt? They know.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Pretty Kitty! - Maine Coons are >Smart< ...
Cats, like all normal mammals after weaning, stop making lactase, the enzyme that breaks up lactose, a milk sugar. When the lactose gets further down in our guts, the 'wee beasties' that can eat lactose do so, giving us varying amounts of distress.
Humans who can digest lactose as adults, are mutants. We (me, and a lot of Europeans, et al.) are most often descended from a "herding culture" - people who kept and sucked on cows, goats, etc. Dairy was one more bad food when times were hard, which happens all too often up until right now.
===
It took Mom (a Smart Lady herself) a while to figure this one out. There was a 'feed me' spot in the kitchen. When her Maine Coon, Lady Fluff, sat there, well that was clear enough. Sometimes she sat in a different spot, maybe only 45 cm (1-1/2 feet) away. When sitting there, she was kind of indifferent to food.
After a while, Mom figured out that Lady was sitting in front of the drawer with her kitty hair brush! Yep, "Mom, brush me". Since Coons are long hairs, brushing is pretty much mandatory.
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Lady Fluff, had a hip injury, and if we touched her 'trigger point', she would do a blindingly fast pain-reflex paw strike. Fast as she was, her smarts were faster, and we got hit 'claws in'!!! And, very often she 'pulled' her strike so we got only a tap. (No, we never tried looking for her trigger point, but accidents happen.)
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When my Mom was reading the paper, she put the 'done' sections on the floor next to her recliner. One day, Lady came, sat down and peed on the paper, then stepped aside and waited. When Mom saw the blood, it was Vet Now! (She got patched up, and kept on being spoiled for years after.)
Furry Felines
As has been said (more than once!), Cats have staff while dogs have owners. Cats also expect instant obedience and attention to detail. Four of them control our household!