By Shadow & Kay Luckett
Hello again. It’s me, Shadow, Mama’s black cat. I’m here to give you some ideas for summer fun.
My friends and I have been sharing some feline secrets, namely things we hope all cat parents will review. For instance, did you know that when you adopt a cat—or when a cat or kitten adopts you—that you are making a 10-to-20-year commitment with us in your care?
Did you also know that regardless of our age, you are adopting a toddler, even when we are seniors? We’re glad to remind you of this as it adds to our health and happiness, along with our mutual longevity.
An important and little-known thing we want to remind you of is that we Do NOT like—nor do we need—to have a radio or TV on to entertain us when you leave (or anytime, really). Why? Because we like our wild animal instincts to be fed by the natural noises in the house and especially the more interesting ones from outside.
We are wild, independent creatures, especially in your absence, and extra noise in our ears masks the sounds we like to hear that keep us alert and safe. Also, we like to hide when certain sounds disturb or frighten us.
And oh, please stop those long emotional goodbyes when you leave. It comes out of your mouth as a love intention, but when it hits our ears, it is a load of your anxiety and guilt. That makes us wonder if you will really return. Yikes.
Just keep a calm routine when leaving. My mom says bye, grabs her stuff, and leaves. Upon returning, she comes in, says hi, and that’s it. We know you’re home, so please DO NOT wake us up to announce your exit or entrance.
You know that cats are psychic—or, better said, we’re incredibly sensitive. We are constantly picking up visible and invisible messages, clues from our mysterious world. We can do this as we sleep our normal feline required hours of 16 to 20 hours a day.
Share summer breezes by leaving windows open, but with strong screens, so we’re safe if we instinctively jump to chase a bird or lizard. Without a screen, we might forget that we’re up two stories, and that’s very high, especially for us cats. I ouch at the thought, so remember: screens protect us from ourselves, and although we land on our feet that’s not always so from tall heights, and our jaws can get hurt on impact too.
Yes, we are magic, but we still have physical bodies that must be protected, just like any human toddler.
By the way, as we felines observe your toddlers, we often see that they’re similar to cats when it comes to being unaware of certain dangers. Every day, you should quickly scan the house for tight screens, curtains or blinds open enough for our views to keep boredom at bay, and plenty of water.
We require at least two water stations even if there’s only one of us. Place daily water near our food but away from litter, and in another strategic place or two since we like to roam—our hangouts, the shower, and near our perching windows.
Never leave tubs or sinks full of water. Yes, we can swim, but most of us HATE being wet, and a tub presents an insidious danger as we can’t climb out. Porcelain or steel tubs and sinks have slippery sides that aren’t made for climbing, but for sliding. The combination of heavy wet fur, slippery sides, and panic with nowhere to dig our way out can mean a premature trip across the rainbow bridge.
Please don’t leave day-old food out for us, including dry foods, as even that is stale to us. We thrive on fresh water and fresh food daily, just like humans. We don’t want your leftover take-outs, as we appreciate a change of water and new foods each day. Left-out kibble is unappetizing to us.
We aren’t self-regulating about portions, meaning we’ll gorge on a full bowl of food, and then be hungry all day. Gorging and starving is unhealthy. Please invest in an automatic kibble feeder that has portions and timers built in. We like to eat when we’re hungry, not when we are pigging out or starving. And, same as the water issue, please take care of us each day, so we can take care of you.
Best wishes and whiskers to all. Meow.
