Rabble enrols KITTENS!!!

If I was going to adopt one of those, I'd have to go with "Cogsworth"...it's the ultimate cat name in my view.

Timebandit wrote:

I can't figure out how to load up a photo of Leonardo of the Magnificent Tail, or I would. We adopted him just before Christmas - he's black and the first longish-haired cat I've ever owned or been owned by.

Hey TB, try this:

1. Click here.

2. Drag your photo as instructed.

3. Right-click on your photo (which will appear on the screen), and select "Copy image location".

4. Come back here, compose your post, and wherever you decide, click on the "image" icon in the menu bar (the icon with the mountain slope).

5. "Paste" from your clipboard into the URL slot - it should paste the "image location" which you copied in step 3 above.

6. Let me know if it works! Mind you, I guess we'll all know if it does. So let me know if it doesn't work!

You don't need to sign up or log in to imgur.com to do this procedure. And there are many other free image upload options if you don't like this one for any reason.

Looking forward to gazing with awe and affection at Leonardo!

It worked! Thanks, U!

Cute!

Approximately how many times a day does he cross your path, tho?

Glad it worked, TB! Lovely Leo!

Here are our roommates.

Personally, I think cats should be allowed outdoors, if it's reasonably safe (e.g. you don't live right on a busy road, or whatever).  Certainly cats shouldn't be left outside in the cold, but otherwise it does seem somehow wrong to force them to spend their whole life under a roof.

Years ago, between Ernest and Olivia, Mrs. Magoo and I looked into fostering a cat from a local cat rescue.  They have a strict indoor policy, and I guess we were too honest for our own good, because on the application form we said we personally believe cats should be allowed outdoors, though we would be entirely willing to abide by their rule.  I suppose I should have figured it out when the application form ASKED us how we felt, even though they'd already decided.  Anyway, that was enough that they wouldn't even reply to our e-mails after that.  No polite response saying we've been rejected, no "thanks for trying".  We may as well have told them we make violin strings.

Frankly, that's why we didn't feel bad at all when we purchased Olivia from a pet store, for money.  I'd so much rather plunk down some cash than have to prove my worthiness.  We've both had cats all our lives.  Geez.

Quote:

The bossy woman indicated that I couldn't adopt from then as there were no screens on my windows (which was very common in Montréal back then).

Have I ever told my "Ernest" "window" story here?

Year ago (by my reckoning, 28 of them) when Mrs. Magoo and I lived in a little third story walkup on Locke St. in Hamilton, we had just got Ernest, from a friend of a friend who adopted a pregnant stray.  We had a large window that opened fully, but like you, with no screen.  Ernest would sometimes hop up and sit in the window and grab some fresh air.  But one day, while he was doing this, Mrs. M. got up all of a sudden and must have startled him because... he jumped!

We ran downstairs as quick as we could, and there he was, a bit dazed, and with a drop or two of blood on his nose, but otherwise alive, having landed on his feet, I assume.

The super-dumb part is that a few months earlier, he voluntarily jumped out the same window chasing a fly.

Anyway, after that second time, he didn't defy death on the windowsill much, and shortly after we moved to Toronto, with screens, but he played Flying Squirrel twice and lived to tell about it.

Thanks, lagatta - we're quite smitten with wee Leo.

Unionist, your kitties are gorgeous!

Here's our other kitty-boy, Jack of Many Toes:

Thanks everyone for the photos and stories, and for the praise of our pussycats!

If you live in the city, you must not let your cats outside (other than the balcony). It's sad, but it's a saw-off. Left outdoors, they will inevitably be killed by traffic. That's my experience, anyway, since childhood. In the country there are different considerations (predators, owls, foxes...), but at least you can give kitties a fighting chance at enjoying the great outdoors.

Up until a couple of years ago, I had never lost a cat to a violent death. Mostly my cats have been indoors for the first year or two, and allowed out a limited amount. I had two calicos - Rosie and Penelope. Penelope is with us, but Rosie, at 12 years old, was hit by a car on our very quiet residential street. Apparently rush hour traffic frustrated some asshole, so he deked down our block. Normally there are kids skateboarding up and down the street and there are stop signs at both ends of the block.

Rose was Thing 2's kitty. She was utterly devastated. So was I. I've always kept my animals safe, dogs and cats.

So when we adopted Jack that year, we made the decision not to let him out unless it's on a harness and lead, supervised. Same will go for Leo. Penelope still gets out a bit because she pees on things if she doesn't get out of the house periodically. It's an uneasy truce, but at 14 she isn't likely to change.

If you can possibly keep them indoors, do it.

So sorry to learn of your loss, laine lowe.

Is it possible that your Fearless and our Zach were long-lost siblings?

Fearless:

Zach:

laine lowe wrote:

Thanks, Unionist! They really do like siblings. This one (from another forum) is of an 8 month old Fearless with his mentor and best buddy, the late Smokey.

http://newcafe.org/partners/bin/motet.cgi?bio+-uLX2KV+lainelowe

That site is password protected - can't access it.

Meanwhile, here is our sweet, quirky Amy, who left us at age 13.

Do any of you like orange cats? Apparently they were the boat cats on Viking ships. The females come out in many different colour schemes, but apparently they are never all orange. Tortoiseshells, blacks, calicos, all seem to be of the orange cat line.

Yes, calicos are female - the very rare male calico cats are sterile. I love them, but the are very territorial. 

My grandfather always had a ginger Tom named Eric the red. Three Erics over my lifetime. 

epaulo13 wrote:

..we had 2 cats at one time. one was the mother and her offspring was 3 legged..which is why we kept him. he grew up to be a cat to be reckoned with as he could climb trees and once chased a dog out of the yard.

..one winter day he went out as he did for a short while regularly..and didn't return. we searched for him but no luck. a whole year later, the following winter, one evening we heard scratching at the door. when we checked it out..there he was. pookie was his name and one day we found him lying in the street..run over by a car. it was truly a sad day.   

All these stories get too emotional too quickly. Thank you for sharing, epaulo.

I was happy to hear that St. John Ambulance brought therapy dogs to Mel Lastman Square. There is nothing more moving than the genuine and unfiltered love we feel for these beautiful animals. They really are a comfort and joy.