Kuchi... a New Orleans cat

 

Kuchi



This is Kuchi, my cousin's cat in New Orleans. She lives in the upper half of a new built house... in Metairie, just a few blocks from where the levee broke with Hurricane Katrina.  They will be battening down and waiting out Hurricane Isaac today.  Since their living area is on the 2nd floor, they should be fine even if the streets flood (which they generally do even with a hard rain).  Since the levees and pumps have been repaired and replaced, they 'should' hold. We are all praying that they do. 

Kuchi doesn't like thunder so she is probably in for a long day of hiding under something with the storm coming through... this evening sometime.



Kuchi playing with yarn



Having just spent a few days there with family I was happy to see how well the city has come back since Katrina. We were down several times previously and things were not looking good.  However, this visit made me realize how resilient and optimistic people can be.  The city looks good... and we are pretty sure that (unless something unforeseen happens - like a levee doesn't hold or the pumps don't work), New Orleans and its people will be fine. 

Creature comforts...



creature comforts...



We all like our 'creature comforts'.  Here Jack and Tux have taken over my chair by the fire where I'd been previously sitting (see my cup of tea in background).  This was during one of our snow storms in 2011.  The rule here is 'if you leave... you lose'.  This happens a lot at our house with 6 cats.  DH's armchair and ottoman is constantly being overtaken by Ghost.  She hangs around and waits for him to get up... and in a split second... has his spot.  (It's a good thing we aren't as neurotic as Sheldon on the Big Bang TV series - as we do relinquish our spots quite often)

They also like my mother's old Lane recliner where I tend to sit and read in the evening.  Its not unusual for me to find Jack, Tux, and Molly all cozied up together on it.   I've had people tell me that their cats don't lie together... well, ours do (as can be seen by this picture of them on our bed). 

They also like to see how many of them can fit on a towel that sits in front of the Aga.

Yes, they are a funny bunch.  They make us laugh and we love them...

Good Dark Chocolate...

I love good dark chocolate!  And I'm always willing to try a new source.  So far... 'Lindt's Excellence Dark Chocolate with a touch of Sea Salt' is my favorite.  And I'm sure that all of you out there have your own favorites. So please... share them with me so I can have a broader outlook.  I'm sure our likes and dislikes are subjective, but hey, who isn't willing to try more chocolate?

Also... I love good coffee... again subjective, yes? Being originally from New Orleans, I do like strong coffee. And I do like it black - no cream, no sugar.  I can actually drink it any which way... but I prefer it black... and fresh!   Now, we just converted over to the new Keurig k-cups.  (I know this is probably sacrilegious, but believe it or not, we like it.)  It has taken some time to figure out which k-cups we like and which we really don't care for,  but we're getting there. So far we seem to like Green Mountain 100% Colombian the best. 

Since I'm allergic to artificial sweeteners, and vendors seem oblivious to using these indiscriminately, I can't drink any of their combinations... such as Cafe Mocha, Chai Tea, etc.  I don't understand why they can't use normal sugar? Or at least give the buyer a choice? But hey, no one's asking me.

So as you can see, today's post is about Coffee and Chocolate... no cats.  Sad, yes?  I'll close with a cat pic:

From left: Julie, Jack, and Tux

The Story of Ghost...

Ghost

Ghost is our 5 year old grey DSH.  She appeared on our back patio when she was a few weeks old along with a few of her feral siblings.  However, she lacked their ability to sense danger or react.  We could tell that 'something' was not right with her, and consequently took her in. The Vet diagnosed her with mental and physical problems and the prognosis was not good.  BUT she has done really well. Despite her rigid expression (which never changes), she is really very sweet.

What I wanted to say here is why we called her "Ghost".  Well, she was very small... and grey... and since our floors are several shades of grey slate, once inside, we could never see her.  She would run along the floor and blend right in... a little grey blur.  Now she's bigger (a lot bigger), but still when she lies on the charcoal grey carpet on our stairs, she's apt to get stepped on if not careful. And another reason we named her that was because she appeared outside around October 31st... and then disappeared inside into the slate... so we started calling her our 'little grey ghost'.

Ghost in her 'youth'....

7 cats on the bed...



7 cats on our bed  (we lost Thibs, orange tabby, this past Jan.  He was 19)

I came across this on Dr. Wells site today and thought I'd post it.  In general, my cats have never liked 'people' food.  But occasionally we have had one that liked crackers or potato chips. At the moment, we have Rose (white) and Ghost (gray) that have taken a liking to chicken and salmon.  I can't cook these without the two of them hanging around the kitchen wanting a bite. And come to think of it, Rose is also crazy about yogurt. DH eats yogurt. I can't because it's one of my 'migraine' foods.  But whenever he sits in the den to eat his yogurt, in pops Rose patiently waiting to lick the bowl.


Here's the article:

5 Foods to Feed Your Feline

Published: 7/23/2012


General Health Want to feed your cat human food? Understanding your pet's nutritional needs is the first step. Cats are classified as obligate carnivores, meaning they need meat to survive and thrive. If you want to cook for a cat, I urge you to talk to your vet or consult with a veterinary nutritionist about the individual needs of your feline companion animal and how those needs change with age. You'll also want to pay close attention to how much home-cooked food your cat should eat in order for him or her to maintain a healthy weight - a good rule of thumb is that human food should not make up more than 15 percent of a cat's diet. Follow these guidelines for foods that are safe to feed cats.



•Meat: Cats are carnivores, and cooked animal meat is safe for them. Cooked poultry is a good choice.


•Veggies: Cats don't get much nutrition from vegetables, but they aren't unhealthy for them, either. Choose washed, cooked vegetables to aid digestion, such as baked carrots, steamed broccoli, green beans and winter squash.


•Cheese: It's a good source of protein for cats, but be aware that some cats become lactose intolerant as they get older. Start with a small amount of cheese to see how your cat digests it - if he or she gets diarrhea, don't feed it any dairy.


•Fish: It can provide some much-needed nutrients for cats, and a bit of fish such as tuna here and there is fine. But don't give your cat too much - the high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in a diet heavy on tuna can deplete a cat's supply of vitamin E.


•Eggs: In nature, cats raid bird nests for the eggs, which is an indication that eggs are fine for your feline friends! Scrambled or hard boiled eggs are a good source of protein, but don't feed your cat raw eggs.

We think our cats eat well.  We give them both wet and dry food.  The Vets change from year to year about which is best. We feed both - to the inside and outside cats. They also get feline treats.  And god knows, they each have their own preferences. Spoiled? Maybe.  Loved, yes.   Ghost has to have her special diet of K/D because of her genetic kidney problems. Jack has to have his daily medication to prevent his body from destroying his red blood cells.  Tux needs time every afternoon on my lap as despite his size, he's very needy.  Julie is very vocal and persistent.  Rose is a bit of a wacko (sweet at times and a bit strange at times - possibly psychotic) And Molly is 19 (92) - and thus, can have anything she wants.




Tux, Jack, Ghost, Thibs, and Molly (they love this fisherman's afghan?)



Years of a cat's life...



Jack

 I found this chart a while back. Since we have 6 inside cats of various ages, I was interested in how a cats years correlate to our own. We have 2-19 yr olds (92), 3-8 yr olds(48), and 1-5yr old(36).  Apparently no youngsters in this house-hold... although they act like youngsters on occasion (chasing each other around the house, playing with balls and toys).  I did read somewhere once that most animals don't go past the intellectual age of a 3 year old child. This could account for the playfulness.  But I wonder  if some don't surpass this age.

Jack, our large male black and white, seems extremely intelligent. He watches everything very closely and pays attention.  Even when workmen are here, he follows them around and sits there watching what they're doing. If we're late getting home and haven't locked up the dry cat food, there are times when he will pull it out and feed the others. And he looks directly in your eyes and  'talks' to you... if you turn away, he'll take his paw and pull your face back.  Makes you wonder.  Here's the chart:


Cat Ages:



People years/cat years


1 = 15


2 = 24


3 = 28


4 = 32


5 = 36


6 = 40


7 = 44


8 = 48


9 = 52


10 = 56


11 = 60


12 = 64


13 = 68


14 = 72


15 = 76


16 = 80


17 = 84


18 = 88


19 = 92


20 = 96

Favorite cat pics...

Tux watching a Garfield movie

I know I've shown this picture before, but its one of my favorites.  My cats do watch TV.  I'm sure yours do also.  They will watch whatever we're watching, but do have preferences.  If there's something with a bird flitting around or a ball flying around the screen, they will get interactive.  Otherwise, they simply sit and watch... occasionally falling asleep.  Can't blame them... with all the reruns and long commercials (sometimes there must be 5 or 6 before the show starts again). I tend to fall asleep a lot during commercials these days.  And this is an old picture... back before our big screen TV.

Whenever I don't have anything interesting to write about, I fall back on my cat pictures. Here's a few of my favorites.



Ghost and Julie playing on the kitchen floor

Of course this was when Ghost was a kitten.  Now she is 5... and huge.  But Julie and her are still buds. When we first brought Ghost "inside", we knew something was wrong.  She was about 4-5 weeks old and very slow to respond... didn't act like she was aware of things around her. When we took her to the Vet to be checked out, he said that she had some major genetic kidney problems... and doubted that she would live to be a year.

He put her on Rx KD and told us to make sure that she always had free access to water or she would die. She does drink an enormous amount of water and does have occasional flare-ups where we have to rush her to the Vets (and they always seem to think that she won't make it... but she does!)  So, she is a fighter.  Here is a more recent picture:

Ghost playing with her mouse