Morgan Bellkitty litter . . . preventing my cat from getting aids
March 16th 2008 11:19
i recently moved from a small city apartment to my parents rural property, with me came my cat miss iota deville . . . when i first got her from the pound in newtown i was told she was an indoors cats only and she wouldnt be able to take care of herself if left to roam the streets, she would get raped and beaten and brutalised by alley cats, tom cats, and street cat ruffians with flick-knives and eye-patches, she would be scratched in a mugging and contract aids!
i may slightly exaggerate what the cat lady said but essentially i was told if i let iota deville outside she would contract the aids virus and DIE! it was decided then and there that iota deville would remain an indoors cat as the city was far too dangerous for her delicate nature.
now that we live on an acre block with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, cupboards, sheds, garages, a veranda and a long winding driveway i thought it mean to restrict her to the indoors as there didnt seem to be any worrisome street cat hoodlems lurking aroung the neighbourhood in gangs.
my parents have three cats, one scraggy geriatic called ziggy who is and elderly 18 years and two giant fluffy "kittens" (as mum still calls them) called micky and rosie who are a juvenile 18 months. iota deville was allowed to go frollick during the daytime hours with the other cats around the grass, trees, ferns, and shrubs of the family property and she came in at night and slept on my bed.
much to my fathers annoyance iota deville was extremely well house-trained and no matter how much time she spent outside in the dirt and gardenbeds she still insisted on coming inside to use the toilet facilities . . . like i said she is a very delicate cat and had been trained early in life to only relieve herself in a proper designated kitty litter box . . . she would sit outside and meow at the door desperate to come inside and scuttle into the laundry where her kitty litter box is located and use the bathroom and then ask to be let outside to play again . . . it really REALLY annoyed my dad as it didnt make sense to him but i just thought it was an interesting case of conditioning in terms of feline psychology.
over many months iota deville has adjusted to being a country cat and viewing the great outdoors as one big giant toilet like all the other animals do, she still drinks the water that pools in the shower unit after someone has a shower, and she still refuses to eat anything other than her specialty indoor cat biscuits (and the occassional moth) despite being offered top quality fresh meat, tinned tuna and gourmet tinned catfood, but shes from the city, shes allowed to be eccentric!
more recntly my parents old lady cat ziggy has been a little unsteady on her feet and going a bit deaf, blind, and senile, and due to a few accidents my parents decided it best to set up a kitty litter tray near the little nook in the lounge room which she has claimed as her own private sleeping area.
now ziggy spends hours outside and when she comes in to retire for the evening she heads straight for the kitty litter tray and floods it with a days worth of cat pee . . . you can imagine i find this highly amusing . . . illogical to my father . . . but put yourself in the cats shoes, why pee in the bush when you have serviced modern facilities in the comfort of your own home? creature comforts some may say . . .
i may slightly exaggerate what the cat lady said but essentially i was told if i let iota deville outside she would contract the aids virus and DIE! it was decided then and there that iota deville would remain an indoors cat as the city was far too dangerous for her delicate nature.
now that we live on an acre block with multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, cupboards, sheds, garages, a veranda and a long winding driveway i thought it mean to restrict her to the indoors as there didnt seem to be any worrisome street cat hoodlems lurking aroung the neighbourhood in gangs.
my parents have three cats, one scraggy geriatic called ziggy who is and elderly 18 years and two giant fluffy "kittens" (as mum still calls them) called micky and rosie who are a juvenile 18 months. iota deville was allowed to go frollick during the daytime hours with the other cats around the grass, trees, ferns, and shrubs of the family property and she came in at night and slept on my bed.
much to my fathers annoyance iota deville was extremely well house-trained and no matter how much time she spent outside in the dirt and gardenbeds she still insisted on coming inside to use the toilet facilities . . . like i said she is a very delicate cat and had been trained early in life to only relieve herself in a proper designated kitty litter box . . . she would sit outside and meow at the door desperate to come inside and scuttle into the laundry where her kitty litter box is located and use the bathroom and then ask to be let outside to play again . . . it really REALLY annoyed my dad as it didnt make sense to him but i just thought it was an interesting case of conditioning in terms of feline psychology.
over many months iota deville has adjusted to being a country cat and viewing the great outdoors as one big giant toilet like all the other animals do, she still drinks the water that pools in the shower unit after someone has a shower, and she still refuses to eat anything other than her specialty indoor cat biscuits (and the occassional moth) despite being offered top quality fresh meat, tinned tuna and gourmet tinned catfood, but shes from the city, shes allowed to be eccentric!
more recntly my parents old lady cat ziggy has been a little unsteady on her feet and going a bit deaf, blind, and senile, and due to a few accidents my parents decided it best to set up a kitty litter tray near the little nook in the lounge room which she has claimed as her own private sleeping area.
now ziggy spends hours outside and when she comes in to retire for the evening she heads straight for the kitty litter tray and floods it with a days worth of cat pee . . . you can imagine i find this highly amusing . . . illogical to my father . . . but put yourself in the cats shoes, why pee in the bush when you have serviced modern facilities in the comfort of your own home? creature comforts some may say . . .
cats enjoying the facilities
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Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
glad there wasn't any horrible fights about territory amongst the feline family members!
Stella says "woof, HUF HUFF HUFF, PANT PANT!", that is pug dog for, 'hello cats, how are you all, hope you're well'....
At least I THINK that is what she is saying!
cheers
fog
Comment by Lilla
Enviro Warrior
An Extra Ordinary Life
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I really enjoyed your story and the adventures of Miss iota Deville and hope to read many more...
I have a Ginger-tommy-spikey -girl who is so feminine it melts me. We live in suburbia and since she arrived I have had a cat door in the back door ... she is free. Funny thing is, she spends every night on my bed, but loves to pee in the garden. (You can check her out on my Extra Ordinary Life blog where she is a sleeping watch-cat for the portal to one of my worlds)...
I'm am sure iota deville will be treasuring her new freedom and before long, I'll wager that the thought of peeing outside will strike her and change her life forever, now that she is safe from all the nasties of the city.
Lilla ...
Comment by Queenie
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment . . . i think people with pets can always relate to other people with pets!
Comment by Cheryl J
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I'm sure I have seen said alley cats roaming through the streets of Newtown, I think they are now in a gang war with the local wombats. Highly dangerous place to be!
I LOVE this blog Morgan Bell (I even used your full name!). As a cat lover and owner of a few with very quirky natures I can relate. My lovely pussa, Scatty, had a thyroid problem, kitty cat Alzheimer's, was completely deaf and near the end developed dreadlocks because his arthritis prevented him from grooming. I always had an overwhelming urge to shove a doobie in his little mouth.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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thanks so much for the lovely comment and for using my full name! haha
poor old Scatty, you shouldve bought him an acoustic guitar and a tambourine!