It’s been a while.
I’ve been taking time off from the blog for as I try to deal with an assortment of health issues that have been hitting me especially hard in recent weeks. This year has been a tough one for me, health-wise, as I’ve continued to deal with seemingly unending chronic migraines as well as worsening sleep problems that have seriously derailed my life and my work.
Progress in dealing with these issues — and several others I’d rather not go into right now — has been frustratingly slow, in part because my particular problems have proven rather resistant to treatment and in part because, well, let’s just say our healthcare system here in the US isn’t what you’d call perfect.
But things have been getting a little better in recent days and I’m hoping I can get back to regular posting shortly.
Thanks for your patience. I very much appreciate your support.
— David
n’thing to PoM that you would absolutely be right not to let this happen.
(and echoing that, as noted, not only would it be a bad move for you – which is 100% sufficient reason – it would probably also be a bad move for your niece, not that this extra reason is ‘needed’, it’s just an extra). If your sister needs respite … perhaps she hasn’t consciously realised that what she wants is some kind of respite care … :-\ and this is not the way to go about seeking it. I’m sorry, this sounds like a tough thing to have to deal with.
@Petal
Thanks for the updates. Thanks for counter protesting.
Feel better David and thank you for all your hard work.
@IP
Well, that sounds like a SWEET deal! Getting free transportation, I mean. Not the Nazi rally.
Never been to Sweden, but I went to the Netherlands as a tourist in 2002, and it was such a surprise to me, how lax public transportation was about verifying whether or not people had actually paid to ride the train. Basically, a spot check was all that was done, asking passengers for their ticket stubs. I don’t know if it’s still handled that way today, though.
I got a new kitten, Sassy, two weeks ago now. Sassy is about 3 months old. She’s been holed up in a little-used room in my house, only coming out to eat, drink, and use her litterbox. And, she doesn’t like to be viewed when she’s occupied with any of these tasks. She darts away as soon as she notices anyone noticing her.
I don’t think she’s ever been inside of a house before. I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, with this critter. How can I help her become more comfortable in her new surroundings?
I got her from an acquaintance who first saw her hanging around their house. They managed to trap her, using a “have-a-heart” trap.
I’m hoping this kitten can still be socialized. I agreed to adopt her, because I have a 14 month old cat who really needs a playmate.
Worried about you, David. So glad you’re feeling at least a little better.
@ dormousing_it
D’aww. She sounds adorable!
I wouldn’t worry too much about rushing any sort of socialisation. Just let her explore her new world at her own pace; remember it’s quite a baffling experience in her young life. She’ll grow in confidence. Eventually she’ll establish a relationship with your existing kitty and they’ll show her the ropes.
David.
I was worried about you. Take all the time you need – and a bit extra for cat indulgence for all their hard work taking care of you. (Even if “taking care of you” means longer times lying down on-near-over-around you and snoozing at will.)
Getting rid of Price!
There are a few more lined up at that strange-travel-costs cab rank. Zinke, Mnuchin, Shulkin, Pruitt just for starters.
But this
is a fantastic summary of dismissals-resignations-walkouts so far. Those in a hurry can start at 2 mins 45 secs to get to the meaty part.
We larfed like drains when we saw that chart filled up.
Oh, for pity’s sake!
I just looked at this item … and I could not believe it. I know the mango mussolini is tone deaf. But I never thought I’d see such tweets (that are not from The Onion) even from that account.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2017/09/30/a-question-of-character/
Anyone who can watch that desperate mayor and then write such stuff is beyond any definition of human, let alone decency.
@dormousing_it
Just give it time. When we got our lovely Aurora, she bolted under the couch and was barely seen for the first months. She did come out eventually though and now she loves being around her humans. Other humans though still not so much, she still tends to bolt, but then again so do I, so everything kinda works out lol.
@Update
Is anyone interested in the details at all, I don’t mind describing my experience but people might not exactly want to know them?
Anyway, everything is still proceeding well, looking forward to getting home in a few more days.
@ Jesalin
So glad it all went well for you. There’s a channel in the Mammoth Discord thing if you’d like to share your experience.
@Dormousing_it
Just be patient. Adjusting to new surroundings is difficult. It’s recommended to leave them alone in a room for a few days, but for my Pepper it was closer to a few months before she was comfortable venturing out, and then a couple of years before she would intentionally be in the same room as another cat. She never *enjoyed* being in the same room with other cats, but eventually tolerated it (and now she gets the whole place to herself; she earned it after putting up with my other kitties for so many years). Watch her body language and don’t try to push her to socialize more than she wants to, either with humans or kitties. She’ll adjust over time.
Good luck!
@Alan Robertshaw, Jesalin, Kupo
Thanks for the advice. It’s reassuring for me to know that this may take awhile, and there’s nothing out of the ordinary about it.
I’m a sucker for happy ending animal stories but this is one of my favourites. It’s basically Despicable Me but with cats.
https://youtu.be/dZiJkicepzM
⚠ Warning: You will blub, but in a happy way.
Dormousing It,
You can try putting a trail of cat treats from her hiding spot leading to you on the other side of the room. Then just sit there and let her decide if/when she wants to come closer. If she does approach than at first just let her sniff you. Instead of trying to pet her, hold out your hand and see if she’ll head butt it. Then you can try petting her after she does that. If she loves food enough, that might work. Otherwise, like everyone said, give it time. Since she’s only a kitten, she has a pretty good shot at making the shift from feral to house cat.
@Dormousing It
When I got Princess Kathryn, she found a hole in the wall that had been left during a half-completed renovation more than a decade ago. She hid in that hole for a week – this was two or three days in her hiding behind boxes period after coming home. I had to close the door between her and her hole with a string. Because frankly she could be literally anywhere in the house she wanted, except in a hole where we couldn’t reach her if she needed help.
Patience is important, as is understanding cat body language. But it’s also important to know she’s safe.
@Jesalin
I’m really glad everything went well! You deserve it <3 It's possible this might be my endgame. I'm still figuring it out.
Policy of Madness says:
Maybe make a list of the ways you are willing to help your niece. Then just tell sister and/or niece what you’re offering. If either one brings up Niece moving in with you, just say, “I’d be really happy if Niece moved to Louisville, but I don’t want a roommate.” As others have said, you don’t have to go into why.
Whatever they think, not wanting a roommate is enough of a reason not to share your home with your niece, so make it the only reason you give them. If they bring up arguments as to why you should have a roommate anyway, you can say, “Perhaps, but I don’t want a roommate.” And if they accuse you of being selfish or mean, say, “I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m still willing to help in X, Y, and Z ways, though.”
Dormousing_it says:
Start by keeping her confined to a much smaller room. Bathrooms work well for this. Block off as many hiding places as possible, too. Go in several times a day and spend time with her. Get some toys that you can manipulate for her from a distance (laser pointers or fishing pole type toy work great) and try to get her interested in those. At her age, she should start letting her guard down and begin to play relatively quickly.
As she does so, get closer and closer to her. You should eventually be able to start touching her while her attention is on the toy. Make it brief and seemingly-accidental at first, like brushing a finger against her back as she’s running past you. If she startles and flees, try to recapture her interest in the toy ASAP. The more comfortable she gets playing around you, the more you’ll be able to “accidentally” touch her until she’s not fleeing, and perhaps even welcomes the touch. Also start to make random noises (sniffles, coughs, a few words, etc.) and sudden movements to get her used to those as well.
After she starts tolerating contact and disruptions within in the small room, see if you can get her to play in a connecting, larger room. Open the door while you’re with her and use the toy to entice her further and further into the larger room. You can also get her used to more than one person at a time at this stage. Keep her in the small room when no one is with her until she’s showing comfort and allowing herself to be handled and bothered in the larger room.
Then leave the door to the small room open so she can choose where to be. Gradually expand her horizons this way until she’s showing comfort wherever she goes and whoever is there.
If she likes and trusts the other cat (and other-cat likes her), you can also other-cat to help model trust in humans. Just bring other-cat along for playtime.
That should read, “you can also use other-cat to help…”
I hope you will be better in health again soon David. You created something good with this website and community and I hope soon you will be back normal again.
@Alan
What’s Discord?
@dormousing_it
Also, if you’ve got a kitty crate, I recommend leaving it accessable and open. That way if you need to put Sassy in it for a vet trip or something, the sight of it won’t make Sassy bolt. Our Aurora likes to nap in hers.
@ Jesalin
It’s an app for chatting. Dalillama set up a Mammoth space. I think if you click on her name in a post that takes you to how to get on there. It’s fun.
All the best David!!
On the previous post, Pie posted a link to a story that’s being reported of a sexbot having been ‘molested’ to the point of destruction. Some parts of the doll are broken. It’s creator said that the men who were soiling it were like barbarians.
I’m not sure how to respond from reading that
Cats, like most animals, are very food-motivated if you find the right food. Sardines are like manna to cats. Buy some sardines and gently coax the cat closer to you with the delicious smell of it, and you’ll have the cat eating out of your fingers in no time. Tuna is OK but be sure to buy the kind in oil because it has a stronger smell.
Bring some kind of stick and once the cat is engrossed in the food and eating, gently start to touch the cat with the stick. A feral isn’t used to being touched and the first step is to teach her that being touched = OK. Not that it’s great, but that it won’t hurt. You can teach that touch is great later. Use petting motions, but don’t get your hand too close because having a hand loom down to pet is overwhelming to a small animal at the beginning. Be sure the stick doesn’t have any pointy bits, because the last thing you want is to accidentally hurt her if she spooks. A length of plastic tubing or a back scratcher, or a cat fishing toy – anything about 18 inches long with no points will do it. You just want to run it over the cat’s fur in a petting motion while the cat is eating.
Put the cat on a feeding schedule. Don’t let her have free access to food. Make her associate food with you, or, more accurately, to associate you with yummy pleasurable things. Right now she has no idea where that food comes from and it might as well be God putting it there. Make it so that you show up, and then food appears, and sometimes it appears literally in your hand so that you = good things. When you break out the sardines for intensive socialization, the cat needs to be hungry and really motivated for the yummy food. This is an important step, so put her on a schedule right away. Two meals a day, as much as she will eat.
Whenever Mr. Parasol and I have had to introduce a new cat to the rest of the resident felines, we keep the new kitty in our spare bathroom, with a towel on their bedding. We keep another towel outside where the other cats can walk or roll on it. The towels get switched every day so that everybody can get used to each other’s scent.
On the occasions where that hasn’t worked, dosing everybody with flea medicine has done the trick.