Tap tap! Tap tap tap tap tap!

I've written before about how I learned from an Animal Planet BBC program called Barking Mad that I could teach Diamond sign language to better communicate with him.

Since I last wrote about that, I've taught Diamond through the use of the thumbs up signal and treats that if he politely taps me on the hand or arm, he'll get a treat. It's the sign language equivalent of "Please may I have a treat, Mommy?" and it works. It's MUCH more convenient for both of us than a random YOWL in a public place. X-D

He's also learned "sit." We're still working on "come," and he hasn't figured out "stay" yet.

It's almost the end of the semester, and we've had one the worst shooting in American history this week.

The "NO TOUCH THE CAT!" rule is suspended until the day after WSU's graduation day.

Snuggle away, Boogah.

Broccoli!

I've been rather text intensive for the last couple of posts, so its time for a picture!


Diamond says: "Stick with 'Natural Choice' cat food, mom! I'm not crazy about broccoli."

(Picture is an illusion created using tiny dots of wet food, LOL.)

Feeding Domestic Pets Raw Meat.

I want to highlight some more knowledgeable perspectives than mine, here are a couple of informative comments I recieved in my last entry:

trixiefirecat said...
the people i've read so far highly recommend wellness wet food as well [human grade meat & no grain filler]. i transitioned my cats off kibble with it, adding a little water, and their coats got softer, thicker & shinier in the first week.

another nice thing you can do for your cat is get some wild salmon oil in gel caps [bottles of it go rancid quickly with air exposure] and squeeze them into their food. they love the smell & flavor, and it's really good for them [something added to all raw food diets].

Curt said...
We have a pack of 6 farm dogs and they all mean the world to our family. And we have fed a raw food diet for years.

But there are so many products out there that are supposed to be raw that aren't. And this craze of "cooking for your pet" is going to hurt alot of animals. You should NEVER cook meat meant for a dog.

Another thing I see being tossed around that is so incorrect is the idea that bones are bad for dogs. Again, absolutely incorrect. CooCooked bones are bad dogs. Raw bones are an essential factor for thier health.

We only feed Oma's Pride meats b/c they come from the same processing plant that produces human consumption products and everything is USDA inspected. We are in Houston so we order from http://www.thedinnerbowl.com but there are quality raw suppliers all over the country.

And really b/c we feed so much less raw (2.5% of the body a day) versus kibble (easily twice that to keep weight) it isn't that much more expensive. It gets expensive when people go to Kroger or some other retail grocery store or when they order from a distant vendor.

We love our animals and the small amount of time and pennie is well worth thier health.

However, there are dangers to be considered. A friend of mine who is in Veterinary school told me;

Raw food diets are typically bad for your pets. For one thing, they usually lack essential nutrients, like calcium. For another thing, they also expose your pet to all sorts of food born diseases and parasites, like salmonella. And even if your pet doesn't get sick, it can still be a carrier for the disease and can spread it to other people. In my nutrtion class we learned about one family in Germany (I think it was Germany) that fed their cat a raw food diet and she ended up spreading e.coli to their daughter. The daughter got very sick and had to be hospitalized.

As I said before, I won't be making home-made meals for Diamond, because I know I don't have the knowledge, time, money, and skills necessary. Furthermore, I've had e. coli in my kidneys TWICE in my life already without my own assistance, and can't possibly afford to do that to myself again.

Its important to get as much information as possible if you're serious about home-making your pets' meals.

Food scare prompts pet owners to retreat to own kitchens.

Something someone posted in Live Journal:

hi, i feed my cats a raw meat diet. homemade cat & dog food is a great idea, i'm just here to tell you, there are things to know about their nutrition that make their diets a little more complicated than just cooking food at home. here's a good article about how cats need special supplements, please do a lot of research before starting your pets on homemade food. they have different needs than we do:
http://www.thepetcenter.com/imtop/catsaredif.html

and this woman is an excellent resource for raw food & holistic pet health:
http://www.catnutrition.org/index.html

As anyone else with a pet, I've been watching this pet food recall closely, doing research, et cetera. Diamond means the world to me... you'd have to hospitalize me if Diamond died any time in the near future. ...Perhaps someday if I married I could cope with such a loss without a temporary stay in a rubber room, but not now.

Anyway, I read (and hear, etc.) that a lot of people are resorting to home-cooking meals for their pets. Personally I couldn't POSSIBLY afford to do it right, so I'm not even going to try. By asking a local pet store, I've found out that a brand called Natural Choice doesn't contain any wheat gluten, or other glutens, so I'll probably be switching to that. Diamond's vet told me last month that Diamond should have wet food about once a week for his kidney health, so I've already bought some, and Diamond's tried the "Venison and green pea," and liked it a lot. (Then again,it was GUSHY FOODS, so he could be just grateful. But he did eat it cheefully.)

I listened to some guest on CNN speak disnmissively about how "its just too hard" for people to home cook for their pets. Now, I disagree with her dismissiveness and I don't think it's THAT hard for anyone who is willing to make an honest effort at it.

At the same time, I hope people are bieng VERY cautious if they do decide to get into the home pet food hobby for their beloved animals, I agree that it IS more involved that it would seem.

Hi there!

Sorry I haven't been around in a while, my scooter was broken so I wasn't able to get to a computer that I could use to upload new photos. We're back now!

Diamond says Hi!

Diamond's tomato obsession.

Last night I came home with half of a mushroom-swiss burger, and forgot to put it in the fridge.

I found it this morning, opened.

Diamond had pulled the to-go box out of the basket it was in, opened the box, flipped open the burger, IGNORED the beef, IGNORED the cheese, and ate the two slices of tomato.

I ask you. Is THIS a normal creature!?

*Sigh.*

This has always been one of my favorite photos of Diamond. :)

*Yawn.*

Your daily dose of Cute.

Who DOES these kinds of things!?

I would have posted this after my photopost of last time, but I really didn't want to ruin such a lovely photopost with venting.

So Monday night at Safeway, I was at the end of an isle chatting with a friend I hadn't seen in a few months, and an older-teen-aged boy walks past us, and starts hissing, growling, and making clawing motions at Diamond.

Diamond reads lips surprisingly well, but of course THAT didn't translate. Diamond looked at him, then turned back to look at me like, "?No habla estupido."

I watched the kid in dumbfounded fascination until he walked out of site, commented, "Odd," and continued on with my conversation.

After I'd made my purchases, I chatted with a store manager, who informed me that Safeway has a 0 tolerance policy against harassment. It works like so:

If you're caught harassing someone in the store, they take your I.D. information and put it on file. If three such incidences are recorded against you, you are permanently trespassed from the store. By the police.

Niiiice.

It was an irritating thing to have happen, but I'm glad I learned so much from it.

To quote Hermione: "Honestly."

And finally, Here's a basic little reminder. (Of course I know I'm mostly just preaching to the choir, here.)

Diamond: "Yaaay! Another adventure! Where we going tonight mom?"


Diamond: "Oooh, what a pretty evening!"


Diamond: "Shopping!? Eww, you know I hate grocery shopping, mom!"
Me: "And just where do you think we get your treats?"
Diamond: "Shopko! Which I like better!"
Me: *Sigh.*


Diamond: "Okay, now this is much better."


Diamond: "What a pretty night. *Yawn*" :)


Diamond: "Hey! I know this door!" :)


Diamond: "My kingdom for thumbs! Sorry that I can't help you with the doorknob, mom."


Diamond: "Okay, now let me help you because you know you can't do it unless I direct."
Me: "Yes, my liege." *sigh.*

Eep!

I'm sorry. I forgot to acknowledge Diamond's sixth birthday this year (the 28th) because my father died wednesday before last and my mind has been on other things.

In other news, Diamond's been quite adorable lately. Photos to follow in the next update.

Finally, a Photopost!

I haven't posted any images of Diamond lately because I had forgotten my photobucket password and couldn't get into the account for months, and worst of all, they have some new policy where you only have so many tries, which was crushing my attempts.

So anyway, finally, the photos will come back.

This one needs a bit of explanation. There's a large fishtank at The Bookie, and the fish always come to you because they think you're going to feed them... even if you're a cat! So here's Diamond, surrounded by hungry fish. ;)


From what I understand, the Bookie is going to be housed inside the CUB eventually, so this tranquil scene will be no more. *sighest...*

I RULE.

July 26th, 2006. Oh, and I am TEH ROCK for socializing kittens. All of the kittens, and the mother, are now all safely ensconced at the Humane Society, awaiting their appointment with the Vet tomorrow, and the director says they're all ready to be adopted out, behaviorally speaking. I tell you, I have a magic touch. X-D

Kittens Doing Well.
July 20th, 2006.

Hi! I don't have homes for the kittens yet, but they're doing fairly well. One is actually with me, hidden in a cardboard box in the basket while Diamond rides on the floor of the scooter under my legs for shade. I had brought said kitten to Ric-O-Shay, but it turned out the person was only interested in female kittens. *sigh* We're taking the bus home in order to keep cool. I need to find a way to get them FIV tested. (I used to be able to edit the dates I wanted a given post to appear in, I don't know what's gone wrong.)

KITTENS!

July 17, 2006

There was a mother cat and four feral kittens on the side of one of our apartment units, so I dutifully called Animal Control, who came the next day, and we trapped them. Unfortunately it is kitten season, and the first kitten we caught that the AC Officer brought to the shelter was said to be too wild, and that we were to release them all. I talked her into releasing them into my custody, and they are all now safely ensconced in my bathroom while they learn to adjust to humans. It turns out the mother is actually completely people friendly and comes to me for cuddles every time I join them. Two of the kittens have begun to accept cuddles, and the other two are slowly losing their shyness. They've been with me one week as of yesterday, and they're all gray tabbies. Two kittens are long-haired, and two are short-haired like the mother. Eeek! I've gone from one cat to six! It's work but it's fun work!!

Diamond's Reaction to all this.

You know, I totally forgot to write about how Diamond was taking all of that. Diamond was totally loving it! I was really shocked and pleased that he wasn't showing any agression or jealousy towards the other cats, but all he wanted to do was smell and meet them and hopefully play with them. He even tolerated bieng locked in the bedroom for his safety on days when I'd leave the bathroom door open to encourage Mamma and the kittens to explore. (Only one kitten ever did, though.)

MammaKitten (as I called her) wasn't having it about meeting Diamond, though. She hissed the two times that she met Diamond. Once, she escaped from the bathroom and ran under a small table I've got, where Diamond was already sitting, and sat down. She turned when Diamond said hello, hissed angrilly, and ran back to the safety of the bathroom. (Everyone else had a good laugh.)

The second time a few days later, we had to take everything off of the floor of the bathroom and clean everything because although they're all quite good about using the litterbox, they kick sand everywhere. I loaded everyone into Diamond's adult-cat carrier and set them in the hall, and MammaKitten and at least one kitten hissed at Diamond when he came tearing over to investigate.

So introductions didn't go so well. And the kittens had some pretty severe ear mite infections as it turned out, so Diamond's going to have to be checked at his next Vet appointment, *sarcasm* which I'm sure he'll love. ;)

So all in all, I'm terribly proud of Diamond. One of the kittens was decidedly unafraid of him, and I'm sure that totally helped in that lil guy's socialization process.

I'm crossing my fingers now that they'll all pass their FIV/FIL tests... I'm so worried that they'll have to be euthanized even after all the hard work. If everything turns out okay, I'll be sure to link their PetFinder.com profiles up here!

Genius Cat!

I love my cat. He's getting so smart. :) Really, he's probably not any smarter than he's always been, but my ability to tap into it has improved and he's really rising to the challenge. Apparently he loves challenges! Early last month I started watching a show on Animal Planet which only plays very early in the morning, called Barking Mad. It's a British show that features a pet -- two pets per episode -- that has some kind of emotional or behavioral problem. They bring in experts, find the source of the problem, and then re-train both the human and the pet to modify the animal's frustrating behavior.

In one episode, they showcased a dalmation that was completely deaf. The owners weren't aware he was deaf, so he was sent in for vet tests that pinpointed the problem, and he was indeed deaf. Actually, I could tell from his bosy language that the dog was just as frustrated with the human owners as they were with him. and then they brought in a dog trainer to train the owners to teach the dog obedience lessons via sign language. The dog responded immediately, and he became much more relaxed, happy, and confident with the hand signals than without them, and of course the humans became the same because of his change in behavior.

I'm always on the lookout for new hand signals to train Diamond, so I was delighted to watch. I wish they'd provided more information to where I could learn more hand signals, because they only showed two or three, one of which (palm up for "sit,") I already knew.

In any event, they showed "thumbs up," as a way to say "Good job, now you get a treat!" and I began working on that one with Diamond that very morning.

Today, six weeks later, Diamond's showed me several times that he knows "Thumbs up!" perfectly. :)

I was sitting on the couch, and for some reason I got it into my head to show him numbers with my fingers. I went to show him "One," with my thumb, forgetting all about thumbs up which I hadn't done in a couple of weeks, and he immediately perked up, his ears pricked, and he looked at my empty hands, then looked around the room for his treat can, confused. I laughed my fool head off and snatched up the can, then gave him another thumbs up, by which time he had scampered up to me and had sat politely, waiting, and I gave him a treat.

Next we're going to work on "Come here!" Which is a large circular backwards waving of the hand towards myself. I think this one may be trickier.

I love my cat. :)

An upcoming visit to the Vet

Diamond's going to be a VERY unhappy fuzzy butt in the beginning of March. I've got two of his vaccinations scheduled, PLUS, I'm having a microchip installed in him. Luckily for him, most likely there will probably only be two injections, as the first two will probably be combined. (I hope.) Still, it's going to be a noisy day at the clinic. *Giggle* At my clinic, the microchip ONLY costs $30!! That's SO awesome!!!!

For those of you who own pets.. you know what the microchip is, right? (I still meet people who don't know about it.) They inject this very small microchip in your cat or dog's shoulder, and from then on, vet clinics and pet shelters can scan the animal, and if your beloved pet ever gets lost, the chip tells them the animal's owner's address!! SWEET!! In some cases, they also tattoo the inside of the animal's ear so pet rescuers will know to scan for the chip. I'm gonna tease the hell out of Diamond if he has to get a tat. Haaa! I just about did backflips (Yes, I can actually backflip...) when I found out it was so cheap at Diamond's clinic. {{{{{Hugs Diamond's Vet Clinic}}}}}

Also, I've bit the bullet and checked with a local nursing home about having Diamond make regular "pet therapy session" visits with their clients. I'm one of those people who gets kind of wierded out at nursing homes... but when I took Diamond to see a particular client last year at the request of my previous physician, Diamond LOVED it, and ever since has taken to flirting madly with elderly people who walk up to him. When they walk away, he turns around, looks at me with pouting eyes, and chuffs. *Headstearinghandles* Gee, THANKS! So I couldn't take the pouting anymore and talked to a particular home's activities director a couple of weeks ago.

Merry Christmas


Everybody.

Diamond: "Can I go now?? PLEASE!?"

Yes, he really IS snow-white.

Here are a couple of adorable photos from a couple of years ago, of Diamond playing in the snow with a couple of little girls. I'll include full-shots as soon as I can remember how to resize photos, and get permission from their mother. ;-)

POOF!!! I've got THICK fur!!


Where's a BIGGER hill, ladies!?

Christmas Wrapping

Here are some adorable shots from last year of Diamond helping me wrap the Christmas gifts. ;-D

My Kindom for Thumbs!




Too... many... friends...


Zzzz...


(Please Note: Diamond was NEVER left unattended with the scissors in the photographs.)

APPLECUP, 2005

Some Diamond-as-Butch shots for luck. :-D






I cannot tell you how much I love how tolerant Diamond is of bieng photographed while dressed up. I wouldn't say that he's tolerant of bieng DRESSED, though. ;)

Having the SPACE NEEDLE painted in Cougar Colors and flying the WSU flag was a LOVELY birthday present. :D

KITTENS OF THE CORN...




HAPPY HALLOWEEN, KITTIES!!! MWAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! ;-D

Whatever do you mean, I'm driving my cat batty? ;-)

Last year it occurred to me that it would be hilarious and fun to install one of those mechanical flying bats and let Diamond react as he wished. He's been a pound and a half over his optimum weight -- which REALLY adds up on a feline, particularly if you want them to live long, happy lives -- and I felt the excersize would be very good for him.



I had a very tall friend help me install it, and we turned it on while Diamond was eating. Eventually Diamond meandered into the hallway and spotted the flying bat.

DUN DUN DUN!!! He stared just long enough to detect something large MOVING in the air in his home and jetted straight at us. Unused to the bat's pattern and not yet realizing it'd have a predictable path, he followed the bat's circular flight path directly beneath it, occasionally springing up in the air but missing it wildly. (Thank goodness for that. I don't know what I would have done with a cat hanging for dear life on a flying bat...) He even dug his back claws into the nap of the carpet to get good traction so that he could keep up.



I think he followed the bat deparately for a good ten - twelve minutes, until his little lungs gave up and he had to stop, he head pointed straight up and spinning in time on his fully outstretched neck as he panted in exhaustion. My friends and I were equally exhausted from laughing ourselves into fits. ;-D He had run so much, so fast and so hard, that his back claws had actually dug a faint path in the nap of the carpet.

It took him a few days, but eventually he figured out that he could perch precariously on top of the easy chair and SWAT!!! the bat as it flew by. I took that opportunity to get some hilarious though usually blurred shots of his antics, which you now get to enjoy here. :)