Tortoiseshell cats are named for their distinctive coloring – a combination of patches of black, brown, amber, red, cinnamon and chocolate. The size of the patches varies from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of color. The term “tortoiseshell” is used for cats with brindled coats that have few or no white markings. Cats of this coloring with larger areas of white fur are called calicos. Sometimes, these colors present in lighter versions such as lilac or cream. Torties with this lighter coloring are called dilute torties. Occasionally, the typical tortoiseshell colors are also seen in a tabby (striped) pattern, and these cats are sometimes referred to as “torbies.”
Tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female. Tortoiseshell and calico coats are the result of the interaction between genetic and developmental factors. The occasional and very rare male tortoiseshell cat is the result of a genetic mutation.
In addition to their distinctive coloring, torties also have a reputation for unique personalities, sometimes referred to as “tortitude.” They tend to be strong-willed, a bit hot-tempered, and they can be very possessive of their human. Other words used to describe torties are fiercely independent, feisty and unpredictable. They’re usually very talkative and make their presence and needs known with anything from a hiss to a meow to a strong purr. These traits are stronger in tortoiseshell cats than in calicos – it seems as though these traits are somewhat diluted with the addition of more white to the color scheme.
As of the writing of this post, I share my life with Amber*, and those of you who’ve followed this blog for a while have gotten to know her in her Amber’s Mewsings posts. You will soon be able to read all about Buckley in Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. The photo above shows Buckley in the front, Amber behind her.
Prior to Amber and Buckley, there was another tortie in my life. Virginia was the first office cat at the animal hospital I managed. She was my introduction to torties, and my love affair with this particular type of cat began with her. She, too, had the “tortitude” I so love about these particular cats.
Do you have a tortie or calico in your life? Does she have “tortitude?”
*Sadly, Amber passed away on May 13, 2010, after a sudden, brief illness. I now share my life with Allegra and Ruby, two tortoiseshell cats who have their own columns here on The Conscious Cat, titled Allegra’s World and Ruby’s Reflections.
Photo ©Ingrid King, all rights reserved
I was sitting at the computer with my mom and Ning-ning comes up to our legs. She starts licking on my mom’s leg because she had put on fruity lotion. I put my leg out “Ning-ning, are you gonna lick my leg?” Sniff, sniff…Bite!
Meg, Ouch. Sounds like Ning-ning has your number. That request by you for a licking took on a whole new meaning. Next time just let your Mom let her be happy. Cover yourself up. 🙂
HEADS UP ALL OFF STEELER FRIENDS AND FAMILY:):):):):): Your all know what tomorrow is, right. Steeler wants me to tell all of you, Steeler and her Mom will be unavailable to any interruptions between 1PM and approx 4PM. Steeler has an important job to be the Steelers Football teams biggest, smallest and most vocal mascot. Her mom will be joining her. So all you in Steeler Nation the game is to start at 1PM against the Baltimore Ravens. This is one of the games known as Smash Mouth Football for these two teams. Not friends. Steeler plans on having Ravens for dinner. 🙂 🙂 🙂 Just fair warning.
Watching Tortie Football now.
Got Doodlebug a front row seat on the coffee table for this one. He’s still on the fence between the Steelers and the Saints, but I have faith he’ll come down on the right side….
Sharon with a male Tortie named Doodlebug, he can have the front row seat anytime and if it is Saints or Steelers he will always be on the right side. Don’t want to make him angry. Could have used more Torties today. 🙂
I’ve had Ning-ning since I was about 8 or 9 and I am now 22. She’s still going strong! She’s very feisty and independent. We have a male black cat that she’s never been buddy-buddy with and she will not hesitate to protest if he gets too close to her personal space! Also, if I try to pet him while she’s watching, she’ll get mad and run off and pout. As for letting the cats outside, as soon as the door opens, black cat goes ZOOM! Out the door. Ning-ning, however, will get up from her perch, stretch lazily, hop down, and walk veeery veeery slow to the door. Most of the time we have to shut the door to not let the Texas heat in while we wait on her. She’s not a lap cat, but she’ll lay at my feet and put her paws on me and stretch out. Also, she’ll sleep right next to me on the bed. If she wants in or out, she’ll meow non-stop until the door opens.
Meg, sounds like Ning-ning has you well trained. And we know Torties don’t like to share with other kits.
Hi Meg good to hear from you. Sounds to me as tho you, like the rest of us, are a servant to your
Ning-ning. Sleeping next to you seems to be their choice of closeness and on their terms. It’s fun to read about her behavior to the black cat. Sounds very familiar.
I just want to let all those in the rain zone that I hope everyone and their furry babies are safe and that the rain and flooding subsides soon. I am thinking of y’all.
and just so I don’t get my hand slapped for an OT post….
My Columbia has been in a tortie snit the past couple of days as her brothers have decided that they want to lay on the couch next to mommy also. So in true tortie fashion instead of laying on her side all curled up, she moves to lay on her belly, ears back, tail swishing and a few minutes later leaves the couch. She does the same thing if her sister gets up on my lap or lays on the other side of me. She must be the only one there, she will not tolerate anyone else on or near me.
Betty, I love it. Now we are all getting the idea. I have been taken to the woodshed a few times for being a little to welllll but your OT is great. Just remember we have to go back to our Torties or other little furry ones to be safe from the BOSS.
I can see Columbia being possessive of you with the other little ones getting out of her way.
Steeler is a little possessive of me when I am on the phone or someone is here, she wants all my attention. I know that feeling.
I am hoping everyone soon sees the end to rising waters and storms right away. It has to be the most helpless feeling for everyone. Mother nature’s fury cannot be harnessed. But maybe she will learn to maybe go for a slow trot for a while.
Columbia even gets jealous when my husband and I are having dinner. She lays in the chair next to me and the whole time I am eating she whines for lovies from mommy. She sprawls out in her chair, laying on her side with those beautiful big eyes looking at me while she begs for attention. She knows I usually give in and will stop eating and give her lots of scratchies on her head and neck. As soon as I stop and pick up my fork, the whining starts up again.
She has me trained so well!!
I also hope the rain stops soon and lives can return to normal. So far the only warnings we have down here are for rip tides
Yep you are definitely her servant. But then who am I to talk. I lead the pack in spoiling my little one. On Sunday she and her football team and her mom are going to be glued to the TV.
The rains will have to stop soon. I heard thru higher authorities that the Noah’s Ark is fully booked. 🙂
They WERE booked.
As soon as they let the Tortie on all the other animals decided to learn to swim. Much safer. 🙂
😛 🙂 🙂
Thanks, Betty. We’re fine, and it finally stopped raining. The sun is actually out – we’d forgotten what that looked like!
Sun, what is that. We didn’t get the flooding, but what does the sun look like. Enjoy it folks you paid dearly this past week.
Betty, Columbia has decided that she is a full Torte and demands and getting pissed off is part of the package. Sharing is not an option.
Stir does the same thing with that tail whipping back and forth and found laying on the table when guests are eating works for getting attention.
Dry today and the sun is out.
Critters are back to cutting the grass.
Ingrid – glad you damage was just a damp carpet.
I am hearing a lot of sad stories of flooded basements and major losses.
The East coast sure got hammered.
Columbia can be the most shy, loving and gentle kitty but when she is bad…she is very very bad.
Last night at dinner as usual she was in the chair next to me and cried for scratchies so I was abiding by her command. Next thing I know out come the claws and she reached up and scratched my hand.
As I sometimes do when the babies misbehave, I gave her a gentle tap on the nose with my index finger then moved it back and said “no, bad girl” in a louder voice.
When I do this to my other babies, they will usually jerk their head back slightly and chill out.
Not Columbia, when I moved my hand back to shake my pointer finger at her, up came the paw with claws out in an attempt to slap me back. Fortunately I moved my hand in time or I would have had more scratches.
Betty, you told Columbia “no”. Torties don’t take kindly to no. Your lucky you have a finger left.
Steeler doesn’t respond to no at all. I have learned that if I say “hey hey hey” in sequence she looks at me as if I am nuts but somehow it has worked. The other thing is when I say this I never raise my voice to her. I say it gently. It took time, but she does respond to this command. I belive this may be the only command she responds to.
Lots of luck teaching her to not want to do that. I “doubt’ she means to hurt you, maybe she just wants your attention and she plays a little rough. (yea right Bernie, I hear you now). 🙂
That is Kasey to a “T”, possessive, swishy tail.
It has been said she does not share me very well 😉
Glen, Jay was here and he met with Steeler. He bribed her with fresh catnip. She immediately became his best bud. Atho she was high on catnip. Otherwise I am not so sure she would have taken to him and allowed him anywhere near her or me.
So maybe Kasey might enjoy some fresh catnip. Sure helped put Steeler in a delightful mood. 🙂
No, I am afraid with Kasey, catnip just makes her tough to handle.
This is the voice of (painful) experience 😉
Make s her try to hit the other cats even more than normal, too.
Well that sounds like it might not be wise. Catnip make her more Tortie to handle. That could be really dangerous. 🙂
Hi gang, I am safe but the roads out this way are a mess.
Left early for work this morning and 3 backroads had roadblocks at them. Traveling 3 miles just to have to turn around is stressful.
Got to work and heard lots of bad stories. Flooded basements and yards- no insurance etc.
The main bypass (Rt 222 from Reading to Lancaster) was shut down this morning. Luckily I saw that before I got on it. But going home it was not marked until too late. Got home at 5pm where 4:05 would have been normal. But I had a 4:45 appointment so missed that.
I heard the Turnpike is shut down now. Lancaster County is cut in half with most roads not passable.
In 1972 Hurricane Agnes hit and that year was a record rainfall of 59 inches.
We are at 56 inches this year with 4 months to go.
My driveway is 2 giant ruts so no bike riding for a while. Critters are safe.
Stir seems depressed. Maybe because Bernie left ??? 🙂
I got home about 10, but mostly because about 8 p.m. I met some potential adopters at the home of a foster who lives about 10 minutes from the office in Arlington. They loved the cat (we’ve had her since April so I was motivated to go out of my way to make this work), I interviewed them, and did the adoption paperwork right there. Fortunately, I listed to all the traffic reports before starting home, plus my GPS has traffic maps. Beltway closed, the main road by our house closed, and I took a very roundabout way home but had no problems.
It’s good to hear that all my friends and many others are home safe tonight. I hope this weather clears quickly for all of you.
If you guys need to go northwest, come on up. I have dry ground.
Glad you are safe.
I have a couple of corners in one room downstairs where the carpet is damp. Must have come up through the floor. Between fans and hair dryer, I seem to be making progress. Not how I intended to spend my morning (seriously! Blow drying my carpet?!), but thankful that this is all I’m dealing with. Now it just needs to stop raining!
Ingrid it is good to hear that your damage is minimal and the little ones are ok, you too:).
It’s times like this I wish I could help out. So long distance I can only advise from past experience.
If you have a shop vac you might want to suck up the water thru the carpet. They have small ones for a relatively low cost. I have one. It is a 2.5 gal. and pulls water thru the carpet.
Also for those who may have wet carpets, if you own a carpet scrubber just use it to pull the water up thru the carpet. Then fans on the carpet. It will dry much quicker.
If Steeler were there I would just let her get some catnip and roll on the carpet and her coat would sop up that water for you.
Hope this weather has let up for you.
Thanks, Bernie. I don’t think there’s even enough water to make it worthwhile to tackle it with a shop vac. I just have the carpet pulled up a little and fans going. It should be okay and dry out in a couple of days.
Glad every one’s doing ok, and hope everything dries out soon.
Some parts of our area have gotten 15 inches of rain this week, most of it today. More heavy rain coming through midnight it looks like. Counting my blessings.
I’m sorry about your driveway, Jay – you and your furry family stay safe!
15″ of rain!
Fortunately we don’t see that sort of thing here.
Good thing, in the “swamp” even my 1/3 horsepower submersible sump pump wouldn’t keep up.
That has to do a lot of damage and must be very difficult to deal with.
I hope it turns around soon as far as the weather goes, there.
Glen be careful of what you say. Mother nature may be listening. Sure don’t need to test that new roof out just yet. 🙂
Actually, the roof has never been a rain problem since moving here in 1994.
The problem is when we get a winter with the right conditions for ice damming.
The big issue here is relatively flat land that is swampy clay. Houses here should have been built on stilts, not basements. 😉
Glen all I can say is if on stilts watch out for that first step out. It could be a doozey. 🙂
Steeler and I have discussed this topic and decided to post the picture of the kilt wearer that I had remarked about. You girls remember which one. Bernadette explained the meaning of what is not under the kilt. It ruined my crab cake sandwich.
Before you all get excited, this is not the open air edition. This is the standing look of the man that gave the unexpected and loss of my appetite show at the Faire.
Darn guys. At least he had his legs shaved. 🙂
Oh, wait Ingrid told us last night to play nice right. 🙂 Welllll this is borderline. Steeler approved.
I hate it when a man’s shaved legs are smoother than mine!! 😉
Betty you are so right. I resent it when a man has smoother legs than mine. But that is not always bad:) O Lord I did say that. Steeler says MOM stop. Ingrid said to play nice. Well Betty, I hope when Ingrid reads these posts, and she will, she will understand Bernie is really back and wweeeellll we are enjoying her blog.
Have to remember to keep this Tortie or kitty mentions. I think that may be what she meant by playing nice. I sure hope so 🙂
You know, people, I’m going to see Ingrid this weekend at the cat show. Don’t make me file a bad report about you all.
Awww Harry, don’t do that. I won’t promise to behave. You know me better than that. Hold the report until she gets back to town. Give us a few days to get into some real trouble here. 🙂
Your the best Harry.
Remember, I said I’d be reading…just not a lot of time to respond over the next few days…. 😉
How are you PA folks doing with all this rain? I’m keeping a very minor leak in my basement contained with towels. Many in mine and Harry’s county are not this fortunate. This seemed to come out of nowhere – they had predicted heavy rain, but I don’t think anybody expected anything like this. I’m pretty freaked out – I don’t do any kind of severe weather well. Ruby is oblivious, Allegra is being a real trooper. Even though she’s been hanging out in or near the downstairs bathroom for most of this week (it’s her safe place), she doesn’t seem as scared as she used to be.
Wow, I looked at a pretty accurate weather radar site is like because it is detailed and accurate.
I see the heavy rain there, and the system isn’t moving, at least not much from 6:00PM to 8:00PM.
Usually these things seem to move through, hopefully, this one will too.
I hadn’t heard anything at all predicted for your area, Ingrid, that’s a real surprise.
We’re fine here in Western PA, but it’s the eastern part of the state that’s in the Susquehanna watershed that’s flooding. Anyone heard from Jay? I think his house is up high enough but friends of mine in that area tell me that roads and bridges are washed out.
Ooops reading huh. Darn we came close.
Sorry to hear about all the flooding. Bernadette is right. We have no problem in W.PA
Talked to Jay. Flooding really bad over east. His home is high, but he is concerned about the downhill water runoff from the hill behind the house and barn. His driveway is gone.
It a helpless feeling when the rains come down like this. I can only hope you all affected stay calm and stay in. Don’t go water tubing on city or suburban streets. Please don’t. You have all kinds of hazards in that water.
Rachel don’t even step outside honey. You are our real casualty to happen child.
Hoping for the best for all of you.
This rain is really something. This morning at school I had to park in the lot furthest from the school. I was unhappy and knew it would be pouring when I had to go to my car. DUring my last period it was a downpour. Walking out to my car with my umbrella was not much use. My feet were soaked – hopefully my cute new shoes aren’t ruined, just very wet. GOt to my car and switched into my moccosins (always leave them in the car incase it rains and my feet get wet). Driving home was horrifying. All the roads were starting to get massive puddles. I was worried about hydroplaning or skidding. Not to mention it was pouring. I pulled over once, but it was a street starting to flood, so I kept trucking.
GOt down to the second street of my drive, a curvy road with dips. All the dips were flooded. I was careful driving through them, not too much water that I was worried. But when a car went by me it splashed my windshield and gave me a moment of not being able to see. Traffic was moving slowly and backed up on Braddock, our main road. Nice people let me turn into our neighborhood. Got home, and was shaking.
It was worse than driving home from BlogPaws in the hurricane. And as a result, so many roads were closed & now we don’t have school tomorrow. Only the first week!
It’s been a frustrating morning in a frustrating week, just because it’s a short week and so much is happening, but I just went into the kitchen to heat up something for lunch, followed closely by Kelly. When I dumped a portion of cooked linguini on my plate to heat it up, Kelly immediately pulled a strand out of the pile and ate it from one end to the other. She loves pasta! Gave me a good laugh. Kelly, my little timid shy girl. I have to share it on FB too.
Don’t you hate it when something like that happens and we don’t have the action cam around to take a video…lol
My tux Rockie used to like pasta plain when he was young, but seemed to have grown out of it. Plain macaroni was his favorite.
My tortie Columbia has never eaten pasta, her snacks of choice are white bread, pork rinds, and corn chips. My Janet likes sweets (never chocolate though!) and pork rinds, and Brad likes peanut butter. None of them like fish cat food. The only fish they will eat is regular tuna. They all, well except for Janet who holds out for cake, love ham.
Bernadette, sounds like a great upcoming week for you. Don’t let nerves get to you now. Big day on Saturday.
Love to see a photo of Kelly snitching the linguini from your lunch. Nothing funnier than seeing the kittens think they are snitching something and no one sees them. I look forward to seeing her on you FB. (Checked already, waiting to see her) 🙂
Bernie, it’s good to have you back here – you sound great. But you and Rachel really need to stop getting hurt – this is getting old!
Everyone, I’m sorry if I’m not going to be on here a lot for the next few days, I’m in the middle of intense cat show prep and will be at the cat show all weekend. I will be reading – so play nice :-)!
Speaking of getting old, Rachel and I are going to try to live that long.
I am really happy to be back on here. It was hard to sit back and just watch. Family matters.
Hope your show is a huge success.
We will play boss, but it might be a stretch to ask us on here to play nice, 🙂
To my very precious Tortie family. I cannot thank each and everyone of you enough for all your support and healing kitty hugs, kisses and healing thoughts. So being Bernie, you all know if something is going to be a little different, Bernie will be the go to one for something to give you a smile even with a broken leg. So here goes.
First let me say Steeler has a total dislike for the cast. She finds it to hard to lie on at night.
Now her is the story of the Ortho Doctor.
The dr. was unwrapping my old cast, which I now know was a temporary sling cast (so much for my knowlege of casts). But I digress, as usual. During the unwrapping there was a small plastic bag containing a small white wrapped envelop with something in it. You know where this is going don’t you? um um. Jay had bought me what is know as healing stones and I had put them into the cast wrap. (I do think they helped). Anyway this plastic bag falls to the floor and the dr. dropped his chin and said “What is this”. 🙂 I laughed and quickly started explaining it not drugs :). This was a small packed of healing stones. Still looking like he didn’t quite accept that I hurriedly opened the plastic and showed him the purple and white quartz little stones for healing. At this point his facial color returned and he said ” O God” I thought that was drugs. Then it was total laughter from the room. He said this was a first for him. I calmly looked at him and said with a little light teasing said”this is a first for me also”. Moral of the story is you just never know what Bernie might do or cause to happen. It keeps things interesting.
Bernie,
I was laughing my head off about what the doctor found. Lol!! Too funny!
I can imagine that Steeler doesn’t like the feel of the cast, it’s hard and cold. Not her mama.
I saw your picture of your pretty purple cast on facebook. Cool!
When I broke my foot back in 2007/2008 I was stuck in a non weightbaring cast for 8 weeks and if they had purple I would have been so happy. I had to settle for neon pink. Then when I got my walking cast for 8 more weeks I chose black because I had to go back to work and I figured it would be better. So I was in a cast for 16 weeks and then a boot for 8 more and the darn thing still didn’t heal right, can you believe it?
To keep this tortie related it’s hot again and I have 2 tortie puddles on the floor. Poor things. They do still seem to sleep curled up together though, no matter how hot it may be.
Last night Nikita was rubbing all over John and I when we were sitting on the couch, still have no idea what that was about. She usually only does that if we are standing in the kitchen. Luna will rub up against the couch when I’m sitting there meaning she wants me to pet her but that’s as close to affection as she gets besides throwing herself down on the floor and exposing her tummy but we all know not to fall for a tortie (even an diluted tortie) exposing her tummy. She looks so cute and innocent and will let you pet her nicely for a minute but not one minute longer then you get the teeth and claws. lol
Sue, Luna sounds like the perfect example of bait and switch. She will bait you with that loving tummy and then switch to the real Tortie cat and as good as to say ” I gotcha again”. Nikita is most likely showing she can get some affection even if you two are just sitting down. She wants to be right there with you two. Just in case she can get her share of attention. Luna knows how to get all the attention and then some. LOL. 🙂 Never trust a Tortie tummy.. Just ask Harry.
I hope my experience with this cast and healing comes along better than what I just read from you. That has to have been exhausting. I know nothing about anything beyond cast. If something else is to come I will not know until 10/11. That is when this cast will come off.
Your and I are laughing together. Every time I think of the look on the drs. face I laugh. But it really was an interesting day for him.
Love this – the doctor’s epxression must have been priceless! But glad things are progressing nicely, and hope you’re back to 100% in no time.
Sharon this will never be fast enough for me. I am already trying to find a way to drive left footed. I don’t like being cooped up. Darn, and I can’t put a bit of weight on my right leg. But I will find a was to get into the jeep one way or the other. There are many folks that drive with their left leg.
I thought you were going to say a little bag of cat nip fell out. They probably would’ve made you pee in a cup!
Hey Rachel Good One. That would have been even funnier. We could make a pretty good team. UUMM I wonder is that why strays are starting to follow my leg???? 🙂
Welcome “home” Bernie!! So glad that you’re back where you belong 🙂
I am still snickering over your cast removal story. I have to admit, you are unique in your adventures. Of the dozen or so casts I’ve had thus far in my life, nothing like your experience has ever happened to me .
Hey Betty thanks. Betty it seems like I am as someone very dear once told me, I am trouble looking for a place to lite. Guess if it is going to happen, I will be in there somewhere. I too am thinking about the look on the drs. face. But hey, he lucked out. I might have kicked him then he would have needed some help himself. Just kidding. I am not prone to violence. Just to getting into the strangest situations. But if your wondering, yes I did work the little packet back into my hard cast. I think it does help. I keep telling myself that. So we will see what happens next.
Betty, I hope I never and I mean never have to have another cast. A dozen or so cast, I couldn’t put enough little packets in those to help. 🙂
Well, I had my first cast at 10 days old. I was born with a club foot so they were hoping to correct it with casts. I guess I must not have liked them as my mother has told me the stories of how I used to kick them off and nailed her in the chin a couple of times.
Then after one of my surgeries when I was about 4 years old she found me outside sitting in the middle of a mud puddle, cast and all. The surgeon had given her some rolls of plaster in case anything happened so she did her best to fix the cast, then she and my dad had to pack me up and head out for the hospital that did my surgery which was over 100 miles away.
I think my poor mom could have used the healing stones herself, just to keep up with me.
Betty if you were my daughter, I think I would have needed more than healing stones with you.
You were a walking accident looking for a place to happen LOL 🙂
Bernie,
My wrist ended up being broken, not sprained. I went to the doctor yesterday and got more xrays and he said that he could see clearly now that I had a pretty bad fracture. He gave me the choice of staying in the splint for two more weeks and then getting an MRI to see if I need surgery….or getting a plaster cast for two weeks and then going back to the splint and that’s what I chose!
It is even waterproof so I can shower with it on. Everyone has signed it…there is even a little paw on it from Piper! Guess now I’m even more even for your breaking your leg!
Rachel sweetie, we have to break this cycle of injuries. It is becoming painful :). Maybe that injury god will move on to something else to think of. You and I have had enough. Especially you. Love u 🙂 Get better soon
Wishing for rapid healing for our “casualties”
Lynn, let me know how the essences work for you (and you did use the discount code with your order, right? If you didn’t use it, let me know and I’ll see if they can still give you the discount after the fact).
No, I didn’t see a discount code! Bummer. Paid $18 something for each. BEYOND worth it if they work as the testamonials say they do. I would do just about anyhing to never see a fight like that again. It’s the one thing I’ve never missed about working with the pitties, that constant watchfulness, never able to completely relax when more than one was uncrated. Never expected to see it with cats! lol….Sure, you expect the occasional hissy slap-fight, but not a yowling, rolling around on the floor brawl like that! It was truly horrible.
I hope you never have that happen again. I trust what Ingrid advises. Hope it arrives soon and you have exceptional results. Those little ones will truly benefit and so will you. Here sending real hopes and kitty hugs and kisses to the little ones. A kitty hug for you too. Hang in there. Things will get better.
I have a 5 month old torti that I raised from only 7 days old. She is my baby girl and I gave her a lot of attention. As of about 6 weeks old she won’t let me pick her up, she doesn’t like to be touched for more than about 5 seconds and she never purrs. Will she grow out of this?
She was very close to her brother that I gave to the cat rescue about 3 weeks ago. Is she just in mourning?
Chris, it’s possible that your little girl misses her brother. Kittens do much better if they have a companion. No matter how much human attention they get, having another kitten to play with and wrestle with usually makes for a better adjusted cat as they get older.
It’s unusual for kittens that have been handled by humans and gotten lots of attention from such an early age on to all of a sudden not want to be touched. If this is something that only started happening recently, I’d make sure to rule out any medical issues.
Was kinda hard coming home to an empty house. Sure miss Bernie as the food she made and brought down was better than any I have had in a while plus it gave me an excuse to cook (reheat) for someone other than my self while her leg healed. Talked to her tonight and some healing stones we got at the Faire did their job.
Glad she is home safe.
Still lonely here.
Had the house re-roofed today.
Crew of 7, they stripped it, put ice shield over the whole thing, replaced the old vents with ridge vents, fixed some minor architectural issues.
Needless to say, it was somewhat noisy in the old bungalow from 8:30AM to 7:00PM
1.) 20 pound big orange guy, Taz, somewhat scared and in the basement most of the day.
2.) Tuxie Morgan, wary and a bit “scooty”
3.) Kasey, normal routine, no problem
Actually, I was a bit surprised that Kasey didn’t take some offence to this intrusion.
Torties are natural Supervisors.
Seems like Kasey, Brooke, Steeler and Stir aren’t afraid of anything and will watch to make sure the job is done right.
Monkey’s fearless too. My freakout the other night, stomping, screaming, death-growling, shaking a penny can, threatening to beat her within an inch of her life and acting otherwise demonically possessed only caught her by surprise. She was biting my ankles again within 2 minutes
Hey my wild child if I could help with the little ones I would. I always talk softly to the little ones. Much as I would with an infant. Gentleness eventually shows better behavior. I do that with Steeler all the time. I don’t think I have ever raised my voice at her. Altho she raises hers at me consistently.
With Jay,s Stirfry, who by the way is a gentle little girl, with me, I approached her on her terms and she started rubbing my hand for scratches. It felt great to see this little girl react to me with full contentment. Holding her and speaking softly was great. I will admit her personality does become her. She switches personalities faster than lightning. Jay’s Punky and Tabitha are just gentle loving kitties. Even timid Punky became less timid around me. When I had to leave all three came down to the level I had to leave from as if to say “please don’t go.” My last look back was Punking watching me out the door with the look of a little child that wanted me to stay. There are 3 truly loved kitties at Jay’s. He would starve just to make sure they ate frist and they do come first.
Glen I love this story. Natural born supervisors those Torties. Harry’s did the same thing. Only she perched herself on the kittly tree and watched intently at the work and made sure it met her specifications.
Hearing about ice shields means winter. I am still holding onto summer/fall (no pun intended). Not looking forward to winter at all.
If Brooke was such a great supervisor, she would have made sure that the far door was true, instead of slightly off enough so that bugs can get in. Wait a minute…
Harry wait a minute, are you blaming Brooke for the earthquake that caused the door to become dupershackled? Could it be the Torties caused the earthquake? uuuuuummmmm yep that’s doable.
“Hearing about ice shields means winter. I am still holding onto summer/fall ”
Me too, I was just getting used to the nice weather.
After the snow and temperature conditions last winter, we’ve had it with ice damming. Winter is bad enough without stuff like that going on.
Luckily there wasn’t any rotten wood, this roofing crew was excellent and corrected a number of things past roofers just let go, and there’s the ice shielding covering this whole, low pitch roof, now.
Soffits and insulation work are next, soon. Hopefully this will make winter a BIT easier.
By the way, you may lose your delivery driver. He may think Monkey is more than he can handle. 🙂
Hey that sounds like a wild day in your house. Sounds like Monkey could care less what you had to scream at her. I think I will sit back a while and see how they re-adjust to each other after the re-adjustment to each other after their truce.
As for going after you, Monkey may think you taste pretty good for her taste buds and she knows she can bring you down with little or no effort.
Glad to be getting back. Missed all you. 🙂
lol…you’re right Bernie…Monkey could gare less. She hid for about 2 minutes after my freakout, and then she was head-butting my leg asking for forgiveness. And of course I gave it. She’s my baby. I really think she has the same problem a lot of Pitbulls have with just being so intensley focused they don’t register what’s going on around them. If I could just find a way to break her focus and bring her back to me…..
And She will pay dearly if she makes me lose my right to Chinese Delivery! lol
Hey wild child, I know you are having a really stressful time with the little ones. I can feel the frustration in your words. But I will have to be honest with you. Ingrid is the best at helping out in these situations. I have relied on her advice and she has never steered me wrong. So please try what she advises. I would never hesitate to act on any advise she gives me. Keep strong and remember the wise one says, “and this to shall pass”. Steeler sending special Torties hugs and kisses to all. 🙂
Monkey’s been on her WORST behavior this week. She clawed the everloving crap out of the chinese delivery driver, the same one who pets her every time he comes. That was Friday, Saturday she backed Peaches into a corner and was beating up on her SO bad….usually when they get into it they’ll hiss and swat a little, then it’s done. This was a real fight. And since Monkey was the aggressor I yelled and shook the can and did my heavy metal voice until she ran off, and, sadly, I lost my temper and kept chasing and “Metal yelling” at her. I ran her into a corner, and in my best metal scream said “You think you can kick her a$$, I CAN kick your @$$!” Apparently she wasn’t traumatized too badly because today and yesterday both she’s been biting my ankles and legs! lol
I forgot to say, her old high five buddy from the other side of the window? She was growling and yowling and trying to fight through the window yesterday
I’m going to have to jump in here in my “cat expert” voice :-). You probably already know this, and I know it’s not easy not to yell when something like this happens. Unfortunately, yelling at them is most likely not going to accomplish anything except making the cats afraid of you. Shaking a can with coins inside, or using compressed air, is okay – but you’re going to have to try to make sure they don’t see that the “scary noise” is coming from you.
I hope the real fight turned out to be a fluke. If it happens again, I’d separate the two of them for at least a short period of time.
I know, and I’m not proud. I try so hard, and usually succeed in not losing my temper. But this was REALLY bad! The only time I’ve seen anything like it was back when I was fostering Pitbulls. Actually, Monkey may have BEEN a pitbull in a former life, I swear to God she acts exactly the same……plus she’s brindle lol.
But seriously, I’ve seen this progression in semi-dog aggressive pitbulls. They are ALWAYS sweet, affable, funny lovable clowns with humans, and usually they’re okay with other dogs too. But sometimes with other dogs they’ll get to playing, then one or the other gets a little too excited and plays a little rough, the next thing you know there’s a fight going on, and they’re SO focused and intense that nothing you can say or do will stop it. In the Pitbull world we call this “Escalation” and try to nip it in the bud if we see it coming. Other than physical intervention, Via Breakstick , separation, and taking them to the vet if they’re injured, there’s nothing you can do except crate and rotate dogs you know have those tendencies.
I see this same behavior in Monkey, but I don’t know the feline equivalent of a breakstick, and I can’t crate Peaches EVER! She’s claustrophobic and she’s old…..Monkey’s so energetic, Plus she’s pudgy, I don’t want to crate her either if there’s any other way.
I hope to God this was just a fluke and not a growing problem. If it continues to escalate one of them will have to go…but which? Monkey? My Sweet cuddly metal-chick soulmate? Or Peaches, my 11 year old girl who hates people besides me, and would probably be totally unadoptable? I can’t make that choice. I have to find a way to make this work, even if I have to get a kitten for Monkey to play with. But god that would make my landlady SO mad! lol…Not to mention if (when, the landlady’s making noises about selling the building) would make it even harder to get an apartment.
Have you tried using the Feliway plug ins? They can really help settle things down, especially in a small space like yours. I also highly recommend the Spirit Essences, they have one called “Bully Remedy” (yes, really!) that would probably work really well in your situation.
I’ve never heard of them. I’m desperate, I’ll try anything. Going to go look them up now…thanks!
I ordered the Spirit essences Bully Remedy and Keep the Peace. Feliway was more expensive, but like I said, I’m desperate. If these won’t work, that’s next
Hi Lianimal,
Let us know how those work out. My 4 get along pretty well, but my neighbor has 2 sisters (1 tabby, 1 black, both neutered) that get along great for awhile, then go through a period of about a week where they really tear into each other to the point that they have to be kept in separate parts of the house. Then just as suddenly they’re best friends again for 3 or 4 months, before repeating the cycle.
My neighbor’s been dealing with this for 4 years now, trying to work out what happens to set them off like that. The vet doesn’t have a medical reason, there’s no change in routine or their physical surroundings that we can detect, so it’s a mystery that we’re still working on. But anything to help them get through the ‘crazy times’ without hurting each other would be a big help.
BERNS! So glad you back among us! And, lol….the pics of you with Stir were PRICELESS!
See, Bernie, I think you are some kind of cat whisperer and just don’t realize your potential. You could probably market that…..be one of those people has a show on Animal Planet!
(see below) Could you please come talk to Peach and Monkey? lol
My dear Wild Child, Stir was incredibly good with me. She really liked to be spoken to very softly. I am still amazed she let me give her kitty kisses then bump her head for more. I think I will just love all of kitties here. They are special each and every one of them. I will let someone else go on animal planet.
Don’t waste your talent…I’m telling you! Animal Planet would probably love to have a cat whisperer on board!
A little while ago I was talking to Steeler and she walked by me as I was lying on the floor. She brushed against my arm as she went into her box. Bernie told me to slowly move my fingers slowly towards her nose. She sniffed at me and then slowly rested her paw on my finger. A while later Bernie told me to scratch her ear. Knowing Stir and how fast she is I slowly gave Steeler an ear rub. She liked it and purred. A little later I gave her other ear a scratch.
Our Torties are showing their loving side. I expect to see the poles shift any minute as something unnatural is up.
Hey guys, I can assure you all that Jay’s Stirfry is nothing to mess with. But I was able to talk softly to her, I guess that was new to her, and then scratch her ears. She was appearing to be happy and receptive. So I decided to try to give her forehead kitty kisses. I was missing Steeler terribly. So I thought maybe Stir would like to have some kitty forhead kisses. So I kissed her forhead talking softly to her and then she pushed her little head up toward me for more kisses. I gently kissed her until she felt enough. She then just walked very slowly away. She was, for me, a very gently little girl. I would not attempt to hold her, I don’t think she was quite ready for that.
Jay’s Tabitha is a gently dollbaby. Always close by.
Jay’s Punky, seemed to know I was leaving for home today, because he came into my room this AM and laid his body on my legs to keep me down. Jay had to come in and pick him up so I could move.
If I had not broken my leg, I would never have gotten to experience all the joy the little kits give to Jay. I also met Buell, Nutmeg, and Harley. Five minutes later I fell and broke my leg. I was no longer able to see them except for a distance.
I have been following everyone on here. Hey Wild Child I miss you all too. I hope to be able to write with good news on Tuesday.
Ingrid, healing thoughts are really needed. I seen a woman giving Reiki treatment at the Faire, but when I seen $1 a minute I thought, no I don’t think so. That just seemed so wrong. If I get this I would go to Ingrid. I hope and pray all your and all the other good wished come to bear fruit on Tuesday. Thank you for all you healing thoughts and treatments. Yes I am Bernie and Yes I am back at my home. 🙂
I’m glad you’re back home and with Steeler, Bernie. Fingers and paws crossed for a good report after Tuesday’s appointment!
And ouch to Punky lying on your legs – that had to be seriously painful!
I am at Bernie’s now. Took her home – stopped for pizza on the turnpike. I finally got to meet the most famous Tortie of them all. STEELER !!!!!!!!!!
She is adorable. She talked to Bernie when we came in and gave her hell. All was forgiven when she learned we had brought frest catnip.
She even talked to me.
As the 2nd family member of CC to meet her I feel special. Bernadette got to meet her before the book signing.
Steeler is completely precious. She did the same thing to Bernie when we came back from the book signing, and she didn’t eat the whole time we were gone–she was worried!
Bernie found Stir likes forehead kisses. No growls and not a claw even unsheathed. What is happining to my Tortie ???
Must be channeling Doodlebug! Next step (based on Dood) is putting her front paws around your neck for a hug whenever you pick her up facing you…
” Next step (based on Dood) is putting her front paws around your neck for a hug whenever you pick her up facing you…”
Funny thing is, that is a Kasey behaviour, its the only way she wants to be picked up.
Until she came here at approx. 8 years old, she was not used to being picked up, at least for any good reason, she has learned that behaviour in the last 3 years.
Kitty hugs are the best!
Kitty hugs and forehead kisses are the very best Ingrid. Both for our little ones and for us. I feel special when Steeler wants forehead kisses. Stirfry wanting forehead kisses from me was truly an event for me. I gained her trust just by being soft and gentle with her. Not to say now, that I would dare reach down and pick her up. uh uh Her looks are not deceiving. She really is the real deal. But I loved her.
Finally got to take Bernie to the Renaissance Faire. We rented a wheel chair and had a great time with me pushing her up and down hills that were never steep before but are now. Had a few actors saying “let her go” going down those steep hills. But knowing she is armed I decided not to. 🙂
Ate “Steak on a Stick”, Ice Cream, a Crab cake sandwich while Bernie found out what guys where under their kilts from the guy sitting at a bench accross from us.. She had difficulty finishing her half of the sandwich.
Saw another girl had a tail. I think that was fake – but living near TMI you never know.
Wine tasting and watching a Human Chess match.
Even got a few healing stones for her leg. All in all we had a great time.
So glad Bernie got a chance to go out and about, can do alot for the healing process. Food sounds great….that is except for the crab (sorry don’t like any seafood or shellfish).
So Bernie, I’ve heard that men don’t wear anything under their kilts…is it true? 😉
Happy that a good time was had by all.
Hi everyone. I am home now (my home). Jay had to drive me home. Very painful leg.
Steeler is a happy little girl. She, so far, seems to be pleasant to Jay (altho he bribed her with fresh catnip). She is napping now.
Yes ingrid, this is Bernie for sure. Home in W. Pa.
Betty, thanks for the good wishes. I will see the surgeon on Tuesday and know more than.
AAAAHHHHH Betty, from my point of view (across the other table facing me) I can assure you, this kilt wearer ruined my appetite. Trying to be a lady here, let’s just say, he appeared to be short on quality. You know what I mean. In the future I will not sit near any man with a kilt or skirt on. 🙂
So glad you’re back with Steeler, and glad you can get by all on the first floor of your house! Did you bring Steeler some of that crab cake? At least she got some catnip!
They call that “going regimental”–our bagpipers at Edinboro had to “go regimental”, even the girls when they finally allowed them into the bagpipe corps. Not fun in 36″ of snow and 10 degree temperatures, that would certainly do something for quality, not to mention itchy wool.
Hope you’re okay by Tuesday.
Welcome home Bernie!! I’m happy that you and Steeler are back together again,although I’m sure that Steeler is even happier to have her mom back.
Too funny Bernie about the kilt wearer. This time of year he can’t even use the “but it was cold out” excuse.
Bernadette and Betty, I have a pic of the kilt wearer that sat across from me at the next table. Now now girls, don’t get excited. He was standing up when Jay took his pic. Just so you folks can see him standing.
If a Tortie had been at that Faire some kilt wearers may never have been the same.
Hah – TMI. Totally remember that and the chaos it caused with that hydrogen bubble. Funny thing – about a week before that my HS science class had gone to Peach Bottom nuclear reactor and watched a talking cartoon atom tell us how “Nuclear Energy is your Friend!” Some friend – I’ll stick with torties!
Sharon thanks for the good wishes. I agree with you, stick with the Torties.:) They are the best.
Would not
This is a tuxie story, not a tortie story, but I liked it.
Morgan is our 9 pound, 11 year old tuxie-girl.
I sometimes just say she is a strange little cat. She is our most active cat, I don’t think she realizes she is an older girl.
She is quick and her defence against Kasey is ro disappear, rapidly.
When she crashes though, she will lie there, motionless, with the best, blank, glassy-eyed, 1,000 yard stare you ever saw.
Last week we where eating dinner and she was down on her side in this mode, there was no movement.
My wife said, “look at her, better check to see if she’s alive”
Then we saw evidence of breathing.
I said it has got to be one of two things wit that stare, either she is in deep thought or that brain is in neutral.
My wife, who also rides motorcycles, (and Morgan is “her” cat) quickly answered, using a little motorcycle jargon;
“Not only is it in neutral, but the clutch is pulled in too” 😉
Must be the activity level is a Tuxie thing. One of my boys is a tux and despite being 9 years old is my most playful baby. He loves his little mousies (only the black ones though), his tunnel, and still likes to box with mommy. Sometimes he’ll just run a little ways in the kitchen, then crouch up and then run a little way in another direction, over and over again. I can’t figure out what he thinks he’s chasing, and probably better off not knowing..lol
” I can’t figure out what he thinks he’s chasing”
In Morgan’s case, we think she is chasing the noises in her head 😉
In the case of our old Maine Coon, we attributed it to invisible lobsters.
Kasey is different, she only chases or goes after things for real, and she is serious about that. I chalk that up to both being a tortie and surviving a tough environment for 8 years.
She doesn’t understand adult cat play fighting either, for the same reasons.
Fortunately, she is very social with people.
🙂
Some Tortie think playtime is for “normal” cats and will not play. Pumpkin loves chasing the laser and even Tabatha will dance on it. Bernie saw that Stir ignores it. If you can’t kill it or eat it – why bother.
My Magenta used to really spook my ex and I out. She would either stare at a blank space on the wall, ceiling, or sit in the den and stare out into the kitchen. Her expressions were the same as if she were looking at something real. We finally used to just look at her and say “they’re back”. lol
Betty, :)!
Sometimes I try to spook my cats by staring at the ceiling or the wall. When I glance at them, they have gone back to sleep. On the other hand, I usually break down and look at the ceiling.
My Namir used to have horrible days where his tail just followed him everywhere–he couldn’t get away from it, and every time he whirled around to grab it, it got away.
And Kelly, before the Fantastic Four came along, would regularly trot all through the house every day at a quick pace, door to door, window to window, sometimes breaking into a run to get from one to the next, and giving commentary as she went.
Occasionally, I would ask her, “Kelly, is there something I should know?”
She would briefly pause and look at me with those round, round eyes and say “Row!” and then hurry off.
I can only imagine what she saw when she looked outside. It certainly wasn’t this boring neighborhood.
The odd time, even our big orange guy, Taz, starts scooting around spontaneously.
All the other animals in the house regard this quite quizzically; It isn’t often you see 20 pounds of Crisco scooting around for no particular, known reason.
Punky says Taz is just pleasingly plump.
But as an orange kitty he is slightly biased.
Time to vent.
It is a very hot, humid Labour Day weekend and the air-conditioning system is down.
Since the house has hot water heat, we had an LG ductless system put in last year.
Some things don’t move too quick here and the installer didn’t get here until Wed. It wasn’t too bad because it was cool until Wed.
It took until Thurs. for them to determine it was a small, electronic part, had to be shipped from Toronto, but “the courier would have it here for Friday” 😉 , well they lied.
It is 80 degrees on the main floor of this bungalow as I type this at 10:00 AM.
Since Kasey has trouble with the stairs, going down the stairs is tough for her, I carried her downstairs where it is 70 degrees. There is food, water, litter and beds down here so she’s happy and she can go back up the stairs if she wants.
Sorry about your air conditioning – or rather, lack of. I hope they’ll fix it soon. I guess you’ll have to hang out downstairs with Kasey, where it’s cooler.
Glen, don’t worry about Kasey – I’ve got that department covered for you. Please let us know as soon as you know something.
Thanks
I am actually pretty good with it.
The new vet is quite a contrast. We were still going to the former vet when this was discovered early in 2011, my impression was that they weren’t really sure what was going on and were not really sure what to do or felt it was worth treating.
When the new vet saw it, he advised the observe for a while and do what is necessary plan which was fine. He also said if it needed treating, he knew exactly what to do and explained it all to us.
This has been very reassuring, along with our recent experiences with taking Morgan the tuxie and Toby the silky terrier there; it has all been a huge confidence boost.
In all the years I worked in veterinary clinics, it never failed to amaze me how frequently it would take four veterinary assistants to get a cat OUT of the carrier at the beginning of a visit, but that that same cat would practically run INTO the carrier at the end of the visit!
You should try unloading all at once 10 cats out of carriers at a rescue event some time! Sometimes I feel like a Marine and his service rifle – I can disassemble any carrier, in under a minute, in the dark… (just don’t ask about the time I didn’t get one quite properly reassembled at the end of the event.)
Glen, several years ago I discovered a small item on my Sophie’s forehead that looked like a blueberry nestled into her long fur. My veterinarian and I observed it for a while and she decided it should be removed, though I don’t remember why, I think it had to do with where it was situated between her eye and her ear, maybe there was an artery or a nerve that might get involved, but we removed it with no problem. Nothing ever grew back and the spot healed over. I hope for the same for Kasey.
Thanks for the info., I am hoping the story will be similar, the vet thinks so and I have a great deal of confidence in him.
Check out my FB page
Stirfry makes a friend 🙂
Would love to check out your FB page, if only I had the link to it 🙂
Betty – here you go
http://facebook.com/JayDavenport1956
Kasey will be having some medical treatment for the small cyst on her chin, after a vet visit today which we booked to have it checked out.
The vet confirmed from his files that it has grown and needs to have some further checks and possibly removal.
She will go in on the afternoon of Monday, Sept 12th for a fine needle aspirate and cytology.
Further action will be based on the results from that procedure.
The vet is very confident that it can be treated successfully and is not concerned.
It does not bother Kasey in the least, she is well and her same old self, the only issue is that the cyst, which is the size of 1/2 a small green pea, has grown a bit.
If it needs to be dealt with, it will be by a one day trip to the vet, which would require a general anaesthetic, something I don’t enter into if we don’t have to.
We dis switch vets a few months ago and have been pleased with this decision. Today was no different, the vet was very good with Kasey and was very good at explaining the situation and options, as well as seeming very knowledgeable and confident.
It’s always better to deal with these things before they turn into something bigger. Your vet sounds wonderful – I really like the step by step approach he (she?) is taking. You’re wise to do the needle biopsy first. Kasey won’t be thrilled with it most likely, but it’ll be over before she’ll even know it was happening, and best of all, she’ll be able to come right back home with you.
He is a good vet, the clinic is clean, staff is friendly/happy/knowledgeable. The vets there seem to frequently attend updates and related seminars.
Everyone except Taz has been there (he is due in early Oct.) They have been good with all of them, visits have been very informative, they are very thorough.
He was very communicative in how he would handle the treatment options; I am happy we are taking the “critters” there.
Good to know all the critters are getting the best of care,
By the way.
This is Jay
It will be interesting to see their reaction to Taz, the big orange guy, 20 pounds and doesn’t really like a vet visit.
Oddly, Kasey is our best behaved at the vet, though she would really rather not go.
Yesterday, we took her out of the carrier on the examining table.
As the carrier was being lifted off the table to make room, she jumped back in through its open door. Ne mean feat for a 15 pound cat with old injuries to the back legs. It took everyone by surprise.
She came back out with a little coaxing and was good through the whole exam.
There is no difficulty getting her in the carrier to go home 😉
sorry, just realized I was signed in as Bernie when I wrote this.
By the way – Berrnie had made a red velvet cake and pork and saurekraut for dinner last weekend. Was fantastic. Even Stir had some.
We are all alive so her cooking is definately better than mine.
Punky said he will get dessert.
Bernie must be inspired to cook like that!
Glad Stirfry recognizes her as a kindred spirit.
Not inspired Bernadette. Just using Jay as a taste tester for my cooking. He lived. So not to bad.:) I would love to cook for you also. I can do more than beans and weinies 🙂 (sometimes)
In case you have not all guessed, Bernie is with me now.
She was invited to go to the Renaissannce Faire with me Aug 13 but rain cancelled my plans. The next good week was Aug 27-28 so we planned for that. It starts at 11am so you have to be there by 10:30 to see the greetng of the people by the acrtors. Bernie came down to my house Friday evening and had cooked food (it was really good). We went out back so she could see my animals go into the barn at dusk. They were entertaining to watch so we did not walk out for 15 minutes. By then it was dark and as some of you have seen there is a hill from my barn to the house. Bernie remarked that even though Hurricane Irene was comming in Sat nite that she could see stars. The next step she did. She said I pushed her. but her leg went out and when she fell her leg fractured in 3 places. It took a while to get into my house and I called 911.
They came within 20 minutes and remarked my house is not set up for taking a person out in a streatcher or chair. Well – Sorry but when I put in spiral steps from the basement to the 1st and 2nd floor and steps outside up to my 1st floor deck I never thought to plan for this.
They were able to get her out in a medical chair and took her to our local hospital. There were no rooms open so we had to wait. As this is the country we were behind 2 sheep, a goat and a large horse. The Vet / sorry – the Doctor saw her around 10:30 and we did not get out till 2am. She was able to get an appointment at the local Orthopedic group on Sat morning at 10am. They put her right leg in a cast and told her NOT to be on it for at least 7 days. Well that left out her leaving Sunday afternoon like she planned. She has been recuperating at my house and had her grand daughter Kelly pick up Steeler and take her to Eric’s so she would not have as much stress. As she has told you Steeler has taken over his house and their dog Duke has learned she is THE BOSS.
We went to Walmart to get her pain prescription filled and we got to ride in a motorized cart. We did have fun and got a picture to prove it. She did not want to worry any of you about her leg or Steeler so told a small fib by letting you think Steeler and her were both together. I have tried to make sure she got rest and the kits all have been good. Pumpkin even slept in her bed one night. And Stirfry has been a gentle, frendly loving cat. Somrthing is really wrong with her. She has even asked for Bernie’s attention and wanted head rubs. Hopefully tomorrow will have nice weather and I can rent a wheelchair for us to go to the Rennaissance Faire. My new job has kept me busy but it is nice to come home to a friendly greeting and asking how my day went.
Bernie has enjoyed all the FB and CC comments but was worried how you would question the picture and how we were together.
I loved Harry’s comment to Bernadette to just go to FB.
Hopefully her leg will heal quickiy as Steeler is a very demanding Tortie and will have Mom running errands for her when she gets home.
Jay
A little worried about your reputations?
I did wonder how she broke her leg so badly! I’m glad she’s well taken care of and we miss your comments!
Glad Steeler is in good hands too, and that she has a dog to boss around.
We’re all sending healing energy to Bernie so that she doesn’t need surgery!
Meh, I had a much better story concocted from that photo. I’m sure Steeler misses Bernie, but I know Stir is more than capable of taking care of her. Oh, and Jay, too.
Oh Harry, how could I have missed this remark. I would really like to have heard that interpretation that only you could have conceived. You really make me smile with your innuendos. You have a wit that is unsurpassed by anyone I know. You use it when least expected. 🙂
Ditto the healing energy , Bernie – hope everything turns out well, and keeping you in our thoughts!
Ok Bernie, I think you totally won the Princess of Disaster title from me! I’ve been fairly klutz free since I’ve been to the orthopaedic doctor. Of course, I know how painful a break can be. I broke my ankle back in 2006 falling down 4 stairs.
I hope you are back on your feet, see Steeler soon and don’t get any mice presents from Pumpkin!
Glen – Hope all goes well with Kasey’s vet visit.
“Glen – Hope all goes well with Kasey’s vet visit.”
Thanks.
Best wishes for Bernie and Steeler.
Rachel no, no, no you still get to keep your title as Princess of Disaster. I could never live up to your high expectations on this one. I see you wrist is not in a cast, broken. Now how would any one take your title away. You are one of a kind. May I recommend a time out for injuries for all of us. Especially you and I. We may have to have a no injury party, if we could get thru it without getting hurt. Love u 🙂
Y’all don’t need to fib to us. We know that with how much you love Steeler that you would make sure that she was safe and content. I’m sure we’re all anxious to have you and Steeler reunited, but in the meantime you both are being cared for.
You are lucky to have a friend like Jay to help and care for you as well as friends to watch over Steeler. With all thr positive thoughts and energy being sent your way hopefully it’s enough to prevent you needing surgery.
Please be sure that either you or Jay keep us updated on your situation!!
Betty thank you for your kind words. Jay was the perfect host. Even his Mom found her grandfather’s walker to help me out. Jay has a really good family. He is also a very concerned and compassionate guy.
Can you imagine how may people would go thru what he did. We were only supposed to watch Ingrid win her award, then go to the Renassisance Faire the next day. Then I was headed back the next day. Well Jay ended up with me for almost 2 weeks and never once complained. Altho he was tired after a hard day at work, he and his kitties were great for me. His concern and care was something I was not accustomed to.
He went out and rented a wheel chair the following week so we could go to the Faire. What a great day. He then returned me home the following day. Even in a wheel chair, he never complained about having to push it around. We did finally get to enjoy a great day and the weather stayed great for the day.
I was at the surgeons yesterday. No bones shifted and no surgery will be needed. He did say the best thing I did was stay off my leg completely so as not to put pressure on my leg and give bones the chance to stay in place. Thanks to Jay (the caring dictator) it worked. I will be forever grateful for the help he gave.
Tortie servants, you won’t want to miss this charming story…
http://www.lifewithcats.tv/2011/09/02/good-samaritan-rescues-injured-hurricane-kitten-irene-vet-center-provides-care/
Just wait until that little girl gets her attitude back!
What a great story!
I hae spend the early aAM hours reading your posts. Keep up with the great posts. It is the highlight of my days.
Jay has shown his eagerness to surprise and astonishment me at the same time. But just keep in mind. Not everything is as it seem. There is an old saying. Don’t believe everything of what you hear and only half of what you see.
Jay has also become a tower of strenght during this bleak time.
It has taken me a long time to get this written, I am really tired and the words are getting harder to type.
I felt it was time to say thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I haope to be able to soon give better news.
Tuesdau I find out if my following the directions of staying put anad takins the meds has started the bone knitting procress.. Or if the bonrd have shifted and I need surgery.
All I can really say is the pain is gone over the +100 amd climbing. Forget the 10 scale.
So to all of my friends and family there, please keep posting and know I am reading each of the posts. Physically I am not able to respond to everything.
I will be back and when Ido it will be like a tortie frull of mysefl and ready to go.
Thank each and every one of you so mch. My heart is overwhelmend by al you good wishes and support.
Always
Bernie
We’ll try not to take advantage of you while you’re off your feet! Just keep getting well, and I’m oh-so-glad Steeler can be with you.
It’s so good to hear from you, Bernie! I can’t even imagine the pain you’re in. I’m glad you’re able to read all the posts, and I know you must be feeling our collective energy and healing thoughts and prayers being sent your way. Fingers and paws crossed bigtime here for good news on Tuesday!
So good to hear from you Bernie. I am so sorry you are going through a lot of pain. Hopefully your doctor will prescribe something to give you some relief soon. Please find a way to get a message to us when you find out the result of your bone healing situation. I’m sure having Steeler there with you is helping with your healing in many ways.
Take care and our thought are with you.
I’m sorry to hear Henry is having a bit of a setback – he looked so good when I saw him on Sunday. Hopefully, this is just a little blip, but always better to be safe. Sending lots of healing energy his way!
Healing energy must have worked 🙂 This morning, he reclaimed his post as part of the counter crew and ate some breakfast alongside Brooke and Pearl on the kitchen counter. He still didn’t eat a lot, but more than yesterday and so far, he’s kept it down. It’s hard to know whether I’m being overly neurotic. Our vet would say, “counting the whiskers” – she once had a client who brought in a cat because the client was concerned that he had an uneven number of whiskers on each side of his face…
He just had to prove you wrong. You might be nuts, or it might be that keeping track of those little clues is often the only way to track progress. I do it all the time, even when I don’t need to.
So glad to hear that Henry seems to be feeling a bit better today. Sending some more positive thoughts out that tomorrow is an even better day.
Thanks, Betty! Tonight the rest of the family returns from the beach, and I’m sure that will improve his outlook – Henry’s a very social cat and I think he’s moping during the day when no one’s home. In addition, he has never been a big eater, and since he’s been sick we’ve been trying to offer him some food every few hours, so that he eats a lot of small meals. I haven’t been able to do that since everyone left Monday, and I think the reason he threw up yesterday was that with me at work during the day he may have gotten overhungry and eaten too fast. I can’t leave food down, because Pearl or May will eat it, and they do not need to gain weight… I’m going to walk up to Wylie Wagg today and look for grain-free Weruva, which Ingrid recommended on Sunday (during our lunchtime discussion of eating mice heads versus what’s in cat food…)
I hope that everyone returning home will perk him up. Both of the torties I’ve had were/are very prone to getting sick after eating. My first tortie was given a medicine by her vet that we had to give her every day which really seemed to help. I can’t remember what it was as they dispensed it into smaller bottles, but it was a thick orange liquid. So far Columbias doctor hasn’t recommended anything for her sensitive tummy.
When finances allow I am going to look into a grain free food for my furry babies, but with 4 of them I honestly can’t afford it right now. Our car died on my husbands second day of his new job so we had to do a quick vehicle purchase that we really can’t afford.
Anyway, still have those positive waves pointed at Henry 🙂
Pumpkin says the mice should be whole and moving.
Make a great bedroom snack.
Glad to here Henry is feeling better.
Mewsette is glad someone restocked our basement recently. She came up from the basement the other night with really round eyes and very real mouse paws and tail poking from her mouth–those little mousies are barely a mouthful each. Lately she’s been singing the Kliban cat song, “Love to eat them mousies, mousies what I love to eat, bite they little heads off, nibble on they tiny feet…”
Betty, such a shame that his car broke down. I know you don’t dare be late for a new job. Hope it can be fixed easily.
Alway’s nice to have a spare.
Can’t wait to hear what he thinks of the Weruva.
We did cover some interesting topics during lunch on Sunday, didn’t we?
Thank you Jay, unfortunately we had to trade in the old car to get the newer one. The new one is a 2002 but that is still 4 years newer than the old one. They really get you when your credit isn’t up to par, 23.99% interest!
Betty, I know you’ve already gotten a new car, but you might want to check to see if there’s a Ways to Work program in your area. It helps people with bad or no credit get a car at an interest rate that isn’t so painful. I think the one here uses an 8% interest rate (I’m in Williamsburg, VA, and the program is run through Avalon, which is a women’s shelter). We have helped someone get out of a loan with a super-high interest rate before to get her into a better deal. Sorry to sort of butt in here, but I wanted to get that info out there! The program is for men, too, it just happens to be run out of a women’s shelter here.
Here’s the generic program site: http://www.waystowork.com/
Amy, I don’t think anyone minds learning about that program. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for the info Amy. It is appreciated. You didn’t butt in, you offered some great information.
thank you very much again!!
You’re welcome!
I felt a little like I was breaking into a conversation I’d been eavesdropping on!
So glad to hear he’s feeling better!
That’s so good to hear! Sorry I missed most of it!
Didn’t get the Weruva today – Wylie Wagg is about 4 blocks from my office, but my knee has been bothering me this week, so I didn’t want to walk it. I decided to drive – and at 7:30 p.m. the only parking space I could find was in front of my office building… so I’ll go tomorrow. Henry ate a reasonable dinner, and is sleeping on the chair next to me on the porch.
Yes, it was an interesting lunch conversation, indeed. I had nothing to add to the informed discussion of nutrition, but Pumpkin would have liked my new wholistic complete natural nutrition and weight loss exercise plan – also known as “you eat what you catch.” (Releasing live mice in the house…)
I plan on catching a cheeseburger. 🙂
Amy, thanks for sharing the information about that program – it would be great if it could help Betty. And never worry about “butting in” – as you can see from some of these posts, this has turned into more than just a forum to share tortie stories, it’s turned into a real tortie family!
Welcome Jordyn and Liz.
I love to hear about your Torties. Mine is very independant as you will learn.
Sorry if I have not been on here much in the last 2 weeks. I just got a new job and it has kept me busy. Not getting much sleep as I have been busy with a friend.
🙂
Really, Jay, between Bernie being off her feet and you with a new job…and now, a friend? Not getting much sleep because you’re busy with a friend? Buddy, you just left yourself wide open for a lot of teasing. I just hope Stirfry likes your friend.
Check Facebook Bernadette. That’s all I’m gonna say.
Hmmm, wow, you nay want to restrain Stir. She MAY be liable to claw-shank your friend……
Yeah, but that cast looks like a deadly weapon. Stir’s not that dumb.
I have a tortie around 2 years or younger. I actually have her because on my way to school she was hit by the car in front of me, ran away as fast as she could, and climbed into a tree. When I went home there she was in a room separate from my other cats. Now she is part of the family and her name is Charlotte. 🙂 She really is very feisty and plays rough with my Russian Blue that is three times the size of her. And she meows all the time whenever she wants to, for no apparent reason.
Jordyn, that must have been traumatic to see! Did one of your parents rescue her, and you kept her? That’s totally wonderful, a real happy ending! Torties are tough. A little strange, but tough. I’m glad you enjoy her.
What a great story Jordyn!! Your life will never be the same now that you have been “tortified” 😉
We love pictures, so to both you and Liz, feel free to show off your furry babies anytime!!
Welcome!!
“Tortified” – I knew there had to be a word for it 😛
I got really tortified the night before last… Brooke charmed her way into the bedroom (well, she ran in when I was going out) and so I sat with she and Sabrina for about an hour, while they both were relaxed and well behaved and I actually contemplated leaving the door open. And then, I took my eyes off of them for a moment, and the next thing I knew there was a ball of 8-legged, two-tailed, angry cat yowling and rolling across the floor. Brooke tried to convince me to let her in again last night, but I knew better. Have to get her started on the Prozac.
My girls have been fighting lately. I’m not sure if it’s playing or Luna just getting annoyed by Nikita. Luna definitely has the tortitude that’s for sure. If Nikita comes up on her and she doesn’t want her there she will bop her in the face, she has quite the right hook! Last night they were punching eachother and rolling around but no howling or growling or hissing so I’m not sure what it was.
Nikita did get her back later though. Luna was inside a Trader Joes bag just lounging and Nikita came up and jumped on the bag closing Luna in there. It was rather amusing to watch but when Luna got out she WAS NOT AMUSED! lol She gave us both a dirty look and turned her back on us.
Nikita has been acting like a velcro kitty lately. She follows me everywhere, especially to the kitchen. I thought maybe they needed food or water but no she was just following me and meowing over and over….talking to me I suppose. If I ignore her she will jump on the counter and then on the fridge.
I love these kitties, they sure brighten my day!
Sue, that sounds like play fighting to me. Allegra and Ruby do that a lot, and every once in a while I hear some hissing and growling, sometimes even a little scream. These usually come from Ruby, who’s a bit of a drama queen :-).I never see any ears pulled back, and their tails are up in the air and happy, so I know it’s all in good fun.
Oh boy. Two steps forward, one step back with Brooke and Sabrina.
Two steps forward, and one giant rolling yowling hissing bitting attacking ball of cats backward. Not giving up, though. Hey, it’s only been 20 months.
Brooke never lets us down.
Tortie all the way.
P.S. How is Henry
Henry has me a little worried, still. He’s eating on his own, w/o the appetite stimulant, but not eating very much. This morning, he ate a little, threw it up, ate a little more, threw that up, and then ate again. Tonight, he ate, but again not very much. I’ve also seen him drinking a bit, and I usually never see the cats drink. I fear we’re headed back to the vet. Was it “take your cat to the vet MONTH”? He’s much more active, t hough, and other than eating and drinking seems like himself.
Sending healing wishes Henry’s way.
Can’t help you on the Sabrina – Brooke deal. Your on your own there.
Aww! SHe sounds ADORABLE! Are you her favorite chosen person? Because torties tend to choose someone and be loyal forever, in my experience
I have a 3.5 year old torti cat named Sofi who only has a slight tortitude. Yes she is quite vocal and will even growl when someone knocks on the door. However she seems to have skipped over the independent part. She never leaves my side when I am home, even when I shower she is waiting for me on the side of the tub when I get out.
I had a “velcro tortie,” too, Liz. Buckley always needed to be wherever I was. Ruby is a little bit like that, too.
Liz, apparently she’s been assigned to you, a poor helpless human who can’t be left alone for any length of time. My Cookie has always been right with me, even when I’m running up and down the steps for some reason and she’s annoyed with me.
My Columbia goes through occasional days of having to know where mommy is all the time, then the next day she is back to her independant self. You never know what each day will bring. That’s part of the joy of having torties in our lives.
Welcome Liz!!
My first tortie Hatchet was like that, and so is Monkey most of the time. It seems like torties tend to choose their person, then stick with them through thick and thin. Back when Hatchet was still half feral….I had been feeding her, just got to the trustworthiness of touching her, but still hadn’t gotten her to come in the house, she followed me 8 busy city blocks to the grocery store without my notice, and came in! I started hearing announcements about a cat at the service desk, went up there just out of curiosity, and there she was! I had to call an animal friendly cab home, NO WAY I was trusting her to cross all that traffic a second time!
That was the first time she came inside….we both finally knew she had chosen me to be her person. SHe flew from Oklahoma to Illinois, helped me train all my rescue cats and dogs, and didn’t leave my side until the day she died. I hope to God the rainbow bridge thing is true, because I would give anything to have Hatchet back by my side. SHe changed my life and my attitude far to much to go into here. Ironically, it was trying to cross a busy road that did my baby in, and I’ve never had an indoor/outdoor cat since. Her death really broke my heart. I’m crying now and it’s been about 15 years. I will never fail another beloved pet the way I failed Hatchet
Lianimal, I cry for you too. She understood that you didn’t fail her, and someone else may have needed her more than you did; she’d taught you all she could and needed to move on, but that is a horrible way to go. But sometimes what we consider our failing our animal companions is our final test and lesson–I failed the black cat who rescued me when I was in college as well after he saw me through years and transitions, never learning much about what he needed even though I knew it wasn’t his time. But all my other cats and other animals have had the benefit of that failure, and so have all the animals whose lives you’ve touched and healed.
But your story about the store is too funny–where in the heck did you find an animal friendly cab, and how did she do on the ride home?
lol…I called a cab company, explained what had happened, and even though the cab company didn’t like to take fares for less than 10 blocks, the dispatcher said he knew of a driver who just MIGHT do it, even though the “Animal was uncontained”….they guy was a cat owner. The cab driver said my poor Hatchet looked like a “crackhead cat”. He wasn’t a tortie guy lol
But she snuggled trustingly in my lap and purred the whole way home, and never left my side again
Yeah, I feel like I failed some cats years ago.
I had good intentions but not the best knowledge or experience to put into practice. I did the best I knew how but in hindsight, I would love to have a “do over” with what I know now.
Me too Glen. I used to be one of those people who thought every female dog or cat “DESERVED” to have a litter before they were fixed, I believed that all cats “DESERVED” to be let outside whenever they wanted, dogs “DESERVED” to be able to run offleash….Scraping my beloved Hatchet off the pavement to bury her, then years of rescue trying to attain atonement for failing her have totally enlightened and changed my attitude, All I can do for all the pets I’ve failed in the past is to not fail anymore.
My first cat in my adult life was Molly, a silver tabby.
She was brought home as a small kitten.
I made mistakes with her that I still feel bad for, twenty years later; I can be driving alone down the highway on a work related trip and my mind wanders to things I wish I knew back then in the way cats think, trying to impose my will on her rather than let her be, going away on a week’s vacation when she was about 3 months old and leaving her with people that didn’t give her the best of care….etc.
She was an indoor cat and lived to be 14 but I could have given her a better life and I know that now.
Oddly, there were TV shows on the Discovery channel years ago that gave me the start of that “ah-ha” moment with cat psychology and I started to get clued in.
All I can do is the best I can with that experience with the present group and any future cats. Even with Kasey, I wish I had taken her home a year earlier than I did.
I’m so sorry about Hatchett – and you didn’t fail her. Accidents happen. It sounds like Hatchett opened your heart in a big way, and that she loved you unconditionally. Failure has no part in a relationship like that.
I DID fail her, but I learned from it. I’ll never repeat those particular mistakes. And that, at least, is a plus. I learned valuable lessons from her. Peaches and Monkey will never have to deal with the mistakes I made with Hatchet. And how she was with the strays and rescues…..a real hardass, an enforcer of rules, but never mean for no reason…I like to think she’d like that she helped me learn how to deal with different foibles and behaviors
We’ve all failed some of our furry friends, but those of us here have learned from it, and become better for it. In many ways, the reasons I do rescue have to do with atoning for some of my past failures. I often feel that I have failed Sabrina, giving her a life where she has to live in the bedroom, but then she askes me to pick her up and cuddle and I figure that she isn’t too unhappy with her life. (And I do still try to integrate her and some day, I will do it.) In many countries in Europe, Lynn, it’s considered cruelty to keep a cat inside. You can’t be too harsh on yourself. And who knows what an imprisoned indoor tortie would have felt about her life? Hatchet might not have been able to make the adjustment.
Forgot I was on Julie’s computer.
-Harry (that was me)
Lianimal,
You gave Hatchet a home and love which is much more than she would have had in her life without you. She more than likely lived longer with you than she would have out on her own. I do understand your feeling of failure, even though you didn’t.
I don’t talk about my first tortie Magenta much, as I also feel like I failed her. She loved my ex-husband so much that when we divorced I left her with him as I also let him have the house since he had a good job at the time and could afford it. That way she wouldn’t be in a strange new home without her daddy. A couple of years after our divorce, due to circumstances I would rather not discuss, my ex lost his job and we had to sell the house. He moved in with a friend and took Magenta with him. That situation didn’t last long as he lost his new job and he decided to move back into his parents home. His mother still considered Magenta my cat and being a very vindictive woman refused to allow my ex to being her with him. As a result, my ex put her in a shelter to be adopted, my 13 year old baby girl was put into a shelter.
I tried to introduce her to my then 5 other cats and she was a definite only child tortie and went ballistic and was trying to climb the walls to get out. This was before my ex had moved back in with his parents, it was during a hurricane and everyone came over to my apartment for safety. I knew then that she could never live with me and my other babies.
Then to find out he had put her in a shelter, I felt and still feel like such a cruel person to have that happen to my baby. It was 10 years ago and as I write aboiut it, it still feels like a fresh wound that will never heal.
Betty, I hope talking about Magenta here helps to heal just a little more. You made the right decisions for her and you at the time, and you’re not responsible for decisions others make. Even now we could end up in a situation where this might happen.
Just as we need to learn to walk before we can learn to run, and we babble before we truly speak, we learn these things by doing them, and so we learn to care for out furkids on the job, and we don’t always know, and can’t always choose, the best thing for everyone involved.
I have other instances where I could have made better choices as well, but it’s the ones that are still painful that I consider a failure of sorts. As Ingrid said, there is no failure in love, and we all gave those companions a better home than they would have had and love, and we learned from them as well. I also know they understand.
I always find, when the season turns to autumn, all these things arise for me! It’s the time of year to reflect. I hope we all continue sharing these stories in this safe place where other humans understand us.
Thank all of you for all the kind words. I don’t think there is anything anyone could really say that would keep me from feeling I failed my Hatchie, but you all make sense too, and I agree that as long as I don’t make the same mistakes over again, I might at least redeem myself by doing right by the ones I have now and in the future
I wish talking about her would help me heal, but unfortunately after I think about her long enough to post or talk to someone about her the pain returns for several days. I am just a highly emotional person that has always been a furry baby lover. When I was a child my mother finally forbid me to watch Lassie as I got so emotionally distraught in the episodes where Lassie either got lost or hurt, same with Rin Tin Tin.
Haven’t found an anti-depressant yet that helps with my emotions when it comes to animals. I still haven’t had the courage to write about the fifth kitty I had up until a year and a half ago. Maybe someday.
That could have been Peaches. She never liked me, she was a complete daddy’s girl, so when I moved out I left her with him. it only made sense because she liked him better anyway, and the only place I was able to afford wouldn’t let me have pets. I swear it wasn’t two weeks before he brought her over saying he “couldn’t keep up with her feeding schedule” All he had to do back then was keep her dry bowl full of Meow Mix and feed her a can of Fancy Feast every morning! ANd you know what? right now today she’s going on 11 and the heiffer STILL doesn’t really like me! lol
Hey, everyone, I just talked to Bernie. She sounded good. I don’t think there’s anything that can keep her down, that’s for sure!
Her tibia is broken in three places, there’s also a break in the fibula. The good news is that none of the bones shifted, so she’s on strict bedrest until next week to keep the bones from moving in hopes that she’ll be able to avoid surgery. She’s on some good pain medication, but it does make her feel fuzzy, so between that, and having to keep as still as possible, she hasn’t been able to be online
The really good news is that Steeler is with her now! She just missed her too much, so after two days, her friends went to get her. Steeler is doing well. She likes to hang out in the living room and watch everyone, but none of the humans can catch her or play with her. Surprisingly, she really likes the family’s 18-year-old yellow lab, she just sits and watches him and likes to be in the same room with him. She’s adjusted really well to this abrupt change.
Bernie’s doctors are about to find out what we already know:
Bed rest – check.
Pain meds – check.
Tortie – check.
Never underestimate the healing power of one devoted cat, especially when her fur is simultaneously black and orange.
I’m so glad they’re together again!
Steeler is just surveying her new realm, plotting total takeover.
So glad to hear that Bernie is doing ok and especially glad to hear that her Steeler is by her side to help in her recovery. More than likely Steeler knows that mommy needs to heal and to be a good tortie. The part about Steeler hanging out around the dog is too cute.
Wishing Bernie a speedy mend and recovery, the place just isn’t the same without her.
Hoping for a speedy recovery.
Thats funny about Steeler and the dog.
Folks the foregoing message is from me. I had Jay copy & paste it here for you all. I am just not up to it myself. Thanks for understanding.
Take care of yourself, girlfriend! I’m glad to see a post.
Good to see you Berns, you are missed!
All my family here. I miss not being up to talking with you all. I thank each and everyone of for you kind remarks. I just thought I would let you all know that for now, it’s tough. But with all my friends, and little furry babies I know I pull thru this one also.
Rachel I could not help but think of how I teased you for your consistently getting injuried, I thought oh oh Rachel has me now. So you came to my thought right away.
Ok folks, I am going to rest again. I will talk to you all another time. Hugs and kitty kisses to you all. 🙂
I heard from Bernie, she has a broken leg. Staying with friends. Steeler is ok (it was not her fault)
Oh no. I had been wondering why she hadn’t been online. Thanks for letting us know.
Thanks Jay – I was also beginning to get worried. (I TOLD her not to go bungee jumping.) I hope she has someone who can stay with Steeler and do her meds.
Sorry to hear that, hope both of them are being looked after.
Steeler didn’t trip her? I find that hard to believe, knowing cats and especially torties lol
Oh no, what happened? What will we do without our daily Steeler updates and Bernies words of wisdom?
I hope she mends soon and that Steeler gets meds daily.
Wishing you a safe and quick return to us Bernie!!
Poor Bernie. Been there done that, still have a sprained wrist – wondering if it’s broken because I’ve been having some pain the last two days. might have just been because I missed a few doses of my anti-inflammitory pill b/c I ran out.
Bernie I hope dad won’t call you the Princess of Disaster! After all…that’s my title. Recover soon.
So sorry to hear that, but it’s good that she has friends looking after her. And of course glad that Steeler’s fine!
Bernie! We miss you! How can all these gnarly ornery tortie people (okay, I’m talking mostly about me and Jay) do without your sweetness?! Come back!
Still celibrating your win. Will tell you all how later.
Thank you so much, everyone! I’m so happy! The cats took all the awards except for Best Dog Blog and Best Cause Related Blog – this truly was the year of the cat! Thank you all so much for all of your support – it’s because of you that I won!
WHAT WHAT????? INGRID FTW!
Congrats! You SO deserved that! Go Ingid, it’s your birthday, we gonna party like it’s yo birthday….lol……Peaches is hiding because I was jumping around and hollering, but Monkey TOTALLY gets it….lol
We Won !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best Overall !!!!!!!!!!!
Torties Rule 🙂
Wonderful – just got done watching it at http://dogtime.com/petties
Congratulations Ingrid – you certainly deserve it!!!
Excellent 🙂
Woo Hoo!!!! Congrats Ingrid for having the best dang cat blog in the world wide web!!
To all who read this. Today is the day. Ingrid will prevail and we can raise holy he–!!!! So everyone get set. The voting will pay off for a wonderful and great writer/bloger and most of all a very good person.
Yea I am buttering her up. But in truth she is all that and then some. 🙂
Aww, thanks, Bernie. 5pm Eastern today!
I have a question about Torties and yowling.
I’ve got one now and had another previously who passed away. Both of these cats have a tendency to yowl — loudly and repeatedly — seemingly to themselves, or sometimes while standing over a toy… always in a room by themselves (usually I’m in the bedroom, trying to fall asleep)
At first, I thought the cat was hurt or distresssed, so I used to rush into the other room to check on the cat. Always, when I interrupt the yowling, the cat stops yowling and almost looks embarrassed and annoyed at my disruption… then I go back to bed and the yowling starts up again.
I’ve had other cats but I’ve only noticed this kind of yowling with the two Torties. Also, it’s not age- or sight-related. I’ve seen other cat sites that discuss a cat’s tendency to yowl when she can’t see well or feels disoriented, as in old age. My cats have been doing it since they were young adults.
Is this common to these cats and does anyone have any idea what it means and why they do it?
Thanks!
Marlie
Marlie, torties have a tendency of being very vocal, more so than cats of other coloring. I don’t think anyone knows why they do it. None of my torties have done the yowling, but they’re definitely more talkative than other cats I’ve known.
Hi Marlie,
I don’t know about yowling exactly. My Callie is extremely vocal – she keeps up a running commentary on everything she sees. In fact she’s named Calliope after the muse of music because her constant ‘talking’ is pretty much the background music around our house. The noise varies between a loud purr, lots of sote voce muttering, and an occasional loud meow. It makes things interesting for guests – those who know about her take the persistant odd noises in stride, those who don’t look around confused and ask me if the air conditioner is broken.
Maybe the yowling your cat does is a more extreme version of Callie’s commenting? But the only time Callie does any actual yowling is if I’ve shut her in the bathroom or the bedroom for some reason. Then it’s a very clear Let me out NOW! howl. Doodlebug, on the other hand, is very quiet. There’s an occasional inquisitive meow if he smells a treat that hasn’t made it into his dish yet, but nothing more than that.
I don’t know the reason behind it, but my tortie Columbia yowls. She will usually do it when she is alone in my computer room, but sometimes she will do it in other areas of the house. Her sister, who is not a tortie, does it also. With both of them, if I call out to them by name, they will either stop or come to where ever I am. Then again sometimes they just stop for a moment then continue their yowling.
Although her sister Janet is a pure black kitty, I am fairly sure there is a bit of siamese in her. I have heard that siamese are vocal also.
So you’re not alone with the yowling tortie. I just don’t know why they do it.
Kasey doesn’t yowl or meow, she speaks a complex vocabulary of eeps & sqeaks, rusty swing set sounds, chirps, growls, hissing and a sound like a cougar snarl.
She will “sing” by herself in a room sometimes, or more likely at night, a series of eeps & sqeaks and rusty swing set sounds, this takes the place of yowling, in her case.
Behaviour is similar but the sounds are different.
Ok – thanks everyone!
It does sound similar to Kasey, Glen. I call it singing, even though it’s really more like yowling and what Betty said sounds similar too – my cat also stops or comes to me when I call her name, or sometimes she just continues on… I guess I sing to myself too, so maybe that’s all it is 🙂
Sharon – I love the name Calliope! My Tortie’s name is Penelope 🙂 The one I had before was named Mellie, after Melanie Wilkes… that’s because she was sweet the first day I got her… every day after that, I thought she’d have been more aptly named Scarlett 🙂
Thanks everyone! I do love these Tortie cats – and I have already started referring to “Tortitude!”
“– my cat also stops or comes to me when I call her name”
Kasey will too, when she is doing a nocturnal song.
It is like a lost kitten calling, except; she’s 10 or 11 years old, and, she is the one that wandered off, and knows where she is and where i am.
It is odd behaviour.
Hi Marlie,
Welcome to CC! My tortie Brooke does like to yowl at night when she is alone in the hall way. I always think something is wrong. I think it’s her “I want attention NOW!” cry. I’ve gotten used to it now. But it definitely sounds like it’s a tortie thing.
Ingrid, congrats on the Pettie! Glad I’m getting to spend the weekend with you. BlogPaws is incredible!
Hi! Well, my tortie girl had her kittens and we kept one of them. She used to go out to hunt for him, and whenever she caught something, she would yowl to let him know. He always knew that when he heard that distinct yowl, his mother had something for him. Maybe that’s why they do it with toys? I don’t know, just a theory 🙂
I’m glad to see that everyone made it through the quake and after shock ok. I called my mom who lives in VA right after they announced it on the news yesterday but she didn’t feel anything. She is down close to the NC border so may have been too far away to really feel anything.
I also hope that those that may be in the path of Irene remain safe. Who would have thought that me sitting 8 miles from the ocean on Florida’s east coast would be wishing those in more northern states good luck for a hurricane! We just had some strong rain and wind for a while, but it seems to have died down for the moment.
Again, be safe and make sure anyone with outside wanderers bring them in for the next few days.
Betty I am glad you only had a glancing blow from the hurricane. You folks have had more than your share in the past. Your wishes for those folks in line of the storm are a good way of helping them. Most folks take heavy rains to lightly. Flooding can be fast and furious worse sometimes than the winds itself.
I think our gang on her and that includes you, keep our little ones close and mostly indoors.
Geez earthquakes, tornadoes, and now hurricane. What’s next? I know, a snowstorm in August. That would complete the package.
Stay safe everyone.
Well, I can now say I can sleep through an earthquake. We had a fairly significant 4.5 aftershock last night about 1 a.m., but Henry and I slept through it. Piper the calico sat on Julie’s lap at the desk, and Brooke the tortie was presumably in bed with one of the kids.
Meanwhile, the latest storm track has DC in the direct path of Irene. Whenever there’s a story about people evacuating with their pets, I always say to myself, “we could never manage to do that.” I don’t think evacuation will be necessary, but we’re stocking up on cat food today…
I slept through this morning’s aftershock, too, which is just fine with me, I’m still plenty rattled from the original quake.
The latest I saw makes it sound like the VA/MD beaches are going to hit hard, but we’ll “just” get heavy rain and wind. Of course, it’s too early to tell anyway. I got some canned cat food, though, just in case the frozen raw goes bad if the power goes. Not all that worried about food for me, but I don’t want the girls to not have their meals! We need this darn storm to turn east again!
Ingrid I refer you to the post I wrote to Harry. Just in case. Get ice for the freezer and for food. Bottled water and batteries. I know you already have enough kitty food to last until ?. Get some people food. Fill the car with gas. You will be fine. If not call me and I will come and get you all out of there. 🙂
Well get batteries, fresh water and fill up the cars with gas. Storm prep. Then hit the liquor store after the pet, people food. Ice, don’t forget ice. The little ones will make it thru better than you big guys.
I am hoping it curves back to sea, and it just brings rains to you all. Sleep thru a quake. Your a pro now. Take care.
Amy hi. Welcome altho a little slow on saying that. I don’t think you and Casey would have wanted the ground to move. The folks down below you were just given a wake up call as to “hey don’t mess with mother nature. I would love to see pics of your little Callie, Casey, with the Tortitude. If you can, please post her pics on CC FB.
Hi, Bernie! Oh, the ground moved, all right! It was like riding on a boat in high seas!
I’m not sure if I can post links on CC FB, so I’ll share a couple here, which I hope will be okay! They’re to a couple of Scrapbook files on my LiveJournal. They all show Casey with my middle furchild Squeaker: http://pics.livejournal.com/allyra/gallery/0000crzy and http://pics.livejournal.com/allyra/gallery/0000e3s1 . The second set starts off with a “miracle moment” that I’ve been meaning to write about on Ingrid’s post about cat miracle moments. After a couple of weeks of hating Squeaker and being mad at me for bringing him into HER house, Casey suddenly decided that he might be fun to play with! I almost cried with happiness and of course grabbed the camera to document it!
I love persistent kittens! Your house looks like mine, stuff everywhere, kitty playground.
My new house is even worse! One of my friends calls it the “Kitty Taj-Mahal”…though I know my place isn’t anywhere nearly as amazing a cat house as some other people’s! I pretty much kick cat toys wherever I step.