That's how much the opossum oweighed! Caught him Monday night.

Meanwhile, my son had a small emergency: A young outdoor cat suffered a
"glove" wound, seemingly at the hands (so to speak) of two pre-dead
rotweillers.

A "glove" wound is where the skin/fur is sheared from the animal's tail -
like removing a glove.

Anyway, son gets an appointment with vet to have the tail repaired (actually
removed) and I used this as a teaching moment. He, I, the injured cat, and
the osurly opossum go to the vet's.

Only one of the six employees of the clinic had ever been this oclose to a
opossum.

Lots of ooh'ing and ahh'ing. The opossum ohissed at the technicians - they
ogiggled! The opossum opened wide his omouth - the employees remarked on the
many sharp oteeth! The three veterinarians on duty were more sanguine -
"I've known opossums," one said, "nasty ocreatures."

My son and his discouraged cat go home. The opossum and I go back to our
garage where I give the opossum a bowl of dry cat food. An hour later, the
food is gone, so Mr. Opossum and I take a little trip to a large field not
far away.

Last seen, the opossum was owaddling off into the night looking for more cat
food to ofilch.

On Dec 31, 7:20*pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
That's how much the opossum oweighed! Caught him Monday night.

Meanwhile, my son had a small emergency: A young outdoor cat suffered a
"glove" wound, seemingly at the hands (so to speak) of two pre-dead
rotweillers.

A "glove" wound is where the skin/fur is sheared from the animal's tail -
like removing a glove.

Anyway, son gets an appointment with vet to have the tail repaired (actually
removed) and I used this as a teaching moment. He, I, the injured cat, and
the osurly opossum go to the vet's.

Only one of the six employees of the clinic had ever been this oclose to a
opossum.

Lots of ooh'ing and ahh'ing. The opossum ohissed at the technicians - they
ogiggled! The opossum opened wide his omouth - the employees remarked on the
many sharp oteeth! The three veterinarians on duty were more sanguine -
"I've known opossums," one said, "nasty ocreatures."

My son and his discouraged cat go home. The opossum and I go back to our
garage where I give the opossum a bowl of dry cat food. An hour later, the
food is gone, so Mr. Opossum and I take a little trip to a large field not
far away.

Last seen, the opossum was owaddling off into the night looking for more cat
food to ofilch.


Good eatin'

wrote:
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:20:00 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

A young outdoor cat

... should be brought inside if you really like him.
One man's "pet" quickly becomes some else's "pest".
I say the same about dogs that are allowed to run wild too ... in case
you think I am just a cat hater.

In general I agree.

The cats that live outside at my place are much like songbirds that live
outside. I put out a little food because I enjoy watching them lounge around
and do cat-things. They are not lap-cats nor even very catchable unless they
are sick, so no one could define them as "pets."

The "inside" cats are a different matter. The "inside" cats don't go outside
and the "outside" cats don't come in.

"in2dadark" wrote in message
...
On Dec 31, 7:20 pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
That's how much the opossum oweighed! Caught him Monday night.

Meanwhile, my son had a small emergency: A young outdoor cat suffered a
"glove" wound, seemingly at the hands (so to speak) of two pre-dead
rotweillers.

A "glove" wound is where the skin/fur is sheared from the animal's tail -
like removing a glove.

Anyway, son gets an appointment with vet to have the tail repaired (actually
removed) and I used this as a teaching moment. He, I, the injured cat, and
the osurly opossum go to the vet's.

Only one of the six employees of the clinic had ever been this oclose to a
opossum.

Lots of ooh'ing and ahh'ing. The opossum ohissed at the technicians - they
ogiggled! The opossum opened wide his omouth - the employees remarked on the
many sharp oteeth! The three veterinarians on duty were more sanguine -
"I've known opossums," one said, "nasty ocreatures."

My son and his discouraged cat go home. The opossum and I go back to our
garage where I give the opossum a bowl of dry cat food. An hour later, the
food is gone, so Mr. Opossum and I take a little trip to a large field not
far away.

Last seen, the opossum was owaddling off into the night looking for more cat
food to ofilch.


Good eatin'

********************************888

That's 0'eatin' to you.

"HeyBub" wrote in
:



Meanwhile, my son had a small emergency: A young outdoor cat suffered
a "glove" wound, seemingly at the hands (so to speak) of two pre-dead
rotweillers.

A "glove" wound is where the skin/fur is sheared from the animal's
tail - like removing a glove.

Anyway, son gets an appointment with vet to have the tail repaired
(actually removed)


I had my car detailed once...

--
Steve
southiowa

weltschmerz
Pronunciation: 'velt-"shmerts
Function: noun
: mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state
of the world with an ideal state

HeyBub wrote:
wrote:
On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:20:00 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

A young outdoor cat
... should be brought inside if you really like him.
One man's "pet" quickly becomes some else's "pest".
I say the same about dogs that are allowed to run wild too ... in case
you think I am just a cat hater.

In general I agree.

The cats that live outside at my place are much like songbirds that live
outside. I put out a little food because I enjoy watching them lounge around
and do cat-things. They are not lap-cats nor even very catchable unless they
are sick, so no one could define them as "pets."

The "inside" cats are a different matter. The "inside" cats don't go outside
and the "outside" cats don't come in.


Like Margaret Thatcher said about warships in a harbor- sure, they are
safe, but that isn't what warships are for. Yes, 'indoor only' animals
live longer, but so what? An indoor-only cat isn't a cat anymore, it is
a self-propelled plush toy. If an indoor cat tries to slip out through
open doors or windows, I'd say that is a pretty clear statement about
how it feels about things. A gilded cage is still a cage.

I don't keep house pets. Aside from my allergies, it wouldn't be fair to
them. I'm gone around ten hours a day most days, and asleep another 7 or
8. And if anything is gonna jump in my lap or rub my ankles the other
six hours, it better be able to talk. I make do with watching the birds
and squirrels and turkeys and deer and raccoons and such in the back
yard. And if my bird feeder also feeds the occasional cat or raptor,
well, I didn't make the rules of the game. I don't know what hard
science the bird lovers have to offer, but I would wager the increase in
predation from housecats (and their feral offspring and escapees) helps
offset the reduced die-off and increased population from all the
backyard feeders. They can't have it both ways- if adding predators
isn't allowed, feeding stations should also be banned as interfering
with nature. (Note that many condo communities with ponds, and public
parks with water, already ban duck feeding, just to reduce the amount of
crap they have to clean up. Ducks are lazy- a reliable source of food,
and they will hang around big-time, sometimes all winter in areas that
are well north of where you would expect to find them.)

--
aem sends...

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:49:47 -0800 (PST), in2dadark
wrote:


Last seen, the opossum was owaddling off into the night looking for more cat
food to ofilch.


Good eatin'

Oh, please......
My hangover is bad enough, and now you just made my stomach turn.
Bleeeccchhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!

aemeijers wrote:

I don't keep house pets. Aside from my allergies, it wouldn't be fair
to them. I'm gone around ten hours a day most days, and asleep
another 7 or 8. And if anything is gonna jump in my lap or rub my ankles
the other
six hours, it better be able to talk. I make do with watching the
birds and squirrels and turkeys and deer and raccoons and such in the
back yard. And if my bird feeder also feeds the occasional cat or
raptor, well, I didn't make the rules of the game. I don't know what
hard science the bird lovers have to offer, but I would wager the
increase in predation from housecats (and their feral offspring and
escapees) helps offset the reduced die-off and increased population
from all the backyard feeders. They can't have it both ways- if
adding predators isn't allowed, feeding stations should also be
banned as interfering with nature. (Note that many condo communities
with ponds, and public parks with water, already ban duck feeding,
just to reduce the amount of crap they have to clean up. Ducks are
lazy- a reliable source of food, and they will hang around big-time,
sometimes all winter in areas that are well north of where you would
expect to find them.)

Allergies are a poor excuse: you can get shots.

How much ever you sleep, I guarantee the cat will sleep more. Having a cat
as a house partner a symbiotic relationship; in return for food, water, and
a litter box, the cat will (usually) keep your house free of pests like mice
and roaches.

Further, countless studies show that people who have an indoor cat or dog
have fewer health problems, live longer, and have a rosier outlook on life.
Moreover, the chicks really dig a guy who has a cat.

Cats can save you money, too. A couple of kittens and a big box of packing
peanuts (a kitty swimming pool) is good for hours and hours of entertainment
(for both of you).

And don't worry that you're interfering with the balance of nature. A feral
cat has a life-expectancy of three to four years. An indoor cat can easily
live into a third decade.

One more insistent observation: de-clawing. The downside of declawing a cat
is that you rob the cat of its primary weapon of offense and its primary
method of defense (it can't climb). The reason people de-claw their cats is
to protect their furniture. But the furniture is only furniture whereas the
cat is a member of the family.

"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

aemeijers wrote:

I don't keep house pets. Aside from my allergies, it wouldn't be fair
to them. I'm gone around ten hours a day most days, and asleep
another 7 or 8. And if anything is gonna jump in my lap or rub my
ankles the other
six hours, it better be able to talk. I make do with watching the
birds and squirrels and turkeys and deer and raccoons and such in the
back yard. And if my bird feeder also feeds the occasional cat or
raptor, well, I didn't make the rules of the game. I don't know what
hard science the bird lovers have to offer, but I would wager the
increase in predation from housecats (and their feral offspring and
escapees) helps offset the reduced die-off and increased population
from all the backyard feeders. They can't have it both ways- if
adding predators isn't allowed, feeding stations should also be
banned as interfering with nature. (Note that many condo communities
with ponds, and public parks with water, already ban duck feeding,
just to reduce the amount of crap they have to clean up. Ducks are
lazy- a reliable source of food, and they will hang around big-time,
sometimes all winter in areas that are well north of where you would
expect to find them.)

Allergies are a poor excuse: you can get shots.

How much ever you sleep, I guarantee the cat will sleep more. Having a
cat as a house partner a symbiotic relationship; in return for food,
water, and a litter box, the cat will (usually) keep your house free
of pests like mice and roaches.

Further, countless studies show that people who have an indoor cat or
dog have fewer health problems, live longer, and have a rosier outlook
on life. Moreover, the chicks really dig a guy who has a cat.

Cats can save you money, too. A couple of kittens and a big box of
packing peanuts (a kitty swimming pool) is good for hours and hours of
entertainment (for both of you).

And don't worry that you're interfering with the balance of nature. A
feral cat has a life-expectancy of three to four years. An indoor cat
can easily live into a third decade.

My personal longest living cat was a few months shy of 25 yrs when it
passed.


One more insistent observation: de-clawing. The downside of declawing
a cat is that you rob the cat of its primary weapon of offense and its
primary method of defense (it can't climb). The reason people de-claw
their cats is to protect their furniture. But the furniture is only
furniture whereas the cat is a member of the family.

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:13:10 -0500, gfretwell wrote:

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:20:00 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

: A young outdoor cat

... should be brought inside if you really like him. One man's "pet"
quickly becomes some else's "pest". I say the same about dogs that are
allowed to run wild too ... in case you think I am just a cat hater.

I strongly agree. If you want to domesticate a small animal it should be
in a humans care and control. Dog, Cat, Mouse, Rat, Raccoon, Birds what
ever once you domesticate it you are responsible for it's care. Never
again should it become someone else's pest. Love it, or find it another
loving home, or put it down mercifully.

Red Green wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

aemeijers wrote:

I don't keep house pets. Aside from my allergies, it wouldn't be
fair to them. I'm gone around ten hours a day most days, and asleep
another 7 or 8. And if anything is gonna jump in my lap or rub my
ankles the other
six hours, it better be able to talk. I make do with watching the
birds and squirrels and turkeys and deer and raccoons and such in
the back yard. And if my bird feeder also feeds the occasional cat
or raptor, well, I didn't make the rules of the game. I don't know
what hard science the bird lovers have to offer, but I would wager
the increase in predation from housecats (and their feral offspring
and escapees) helps offset the reduced die-off and increased
population from all the backyard feeders. They can't have it both
ways- if adding predators isn't allowed, feeding stations should
also be banned as interfering with nature. (Note that many condo
communities with ponds, and public parks with water, already ban
duck feeding, just to reduce the amount of crap they have to clean
up. Ducks are lazy- a reliable source of food, and they will hang
around big-time, sometimes all winter in areas that are well north
of where you would expect to find them.)

Allergies are a poor excuse: you can get shots.

How much ever you sleep, I guarantee the cat will sleep more. Having
a cat as a house partner a symbiotic relationship; in return for
food, water, and a litter box, the cat will (usually) keep your
house free of pests like mice and roaches.

Further, countless studies show that people who have an indoor cat or
dog have fewer health problems, live longer, and have a rosier
outlook on life. Moreover, the chicks really dig a guy who has a cat.

Cats can save you money, too. A couple of kittens and a big box of
packing peanuts (a kitty swimming pool) is good for hours and hours
of entertainment (for both of you).

And don't worry that you're interfering with the balance of nature. A
feral cat has a life-expectancy of three to four years. An indoor cat
can easily live into a third decade.

My personal longest living cat was a few months shy of 25 yrs when it
passed.


Into the its third decade. Right.

Towser, the mouser-in-chief at the Glennturrent distillery lived to be 23.
And she was catching mice up to the very end. All told, she caught 28,989
mice during her tenure and earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

HeyBub wrote:
aemeijers wrote:
(snip)

Allergies are a poor excuse: you can get shots.

Like I need an excuse? Eff up my body chemistry with expen$ive shots,
just for the opportunity to spend even more money providing a home for
an ungrateful animal I may see a few hours a week? I think not. And I
say that is somebody who LIKES cats, and grew up in house with them. The
allergies didn't come along until late teenage years, when I somehow got
sensitized to cats. Scratch tests, which they often insist on before the
shots, sometimes make you allergic to stuff you were not allergic to
before. Not an urban legend- I've know people that it happened to. One
of the things that made me decide avoiding the source was the simplest cure.


How much ever you sleep, I guarantee the cat will sleep more. Having a cat
as a house partner a symbiotic relationship; in return for food, water, and
a litter box, the cat will (usually) keep your house free of pests like mice
and roaches.

Litter boxes are disgusting, and one of the best arguments against
'inside only' cats. Yes, people, they DO stink to high heaven. Your nose
is just numb from overexposure. Basic sanitation keeps the vermin under
control with no problem, thank you. I sublet an apartment once from
someone who had cats. A month later, I realized the place was infested
with fleas. Had to do some nasty chemical warfare to clear that up, not
to mention a lot of tedious cleaning of my stuff before I could move
elsewhere.
Further, countless studies show that people who have an indoor cat or dog
have fewer health problems, live longer, and have a rosier outlook on life.
Moreover, the chicks really dig a guy who has a cat.

Companionship and 'needing to be needed' does have therapeutic value,
agreed. But a cat or dog as a surrogate child or spouse is just sad. I
assume you have read the studies that claim house animals suffer from
arrested social development, and are stuck at the dog or cat equivalent
of about a fifth-grader?

Cats can save you money, too. A couple of kittens and a big box of packing
peanuts (a kitty swimming pool) is good for hours and hours of entertainment
(for both of you).

Dream on. There is little more expensive than a 'free' kitten or puppy.
Although, as a kid, we sometimes built multi-level kitten mazes out of
the scrap wood pile, and tried to guess what hole they would come out of.
And don't worry that you're interfering with the balance of nature. A feral
cat has a life-expectancy of three to four years. An indoor cat can easily
live into a third decade.

I've seen some of those old, crippled-by-age indoor cats. They sure
don't look like they are having much fun. My sister has one that tries
to crawl into the fireplace every time they build a fire. They think he
just wants to get warm. I think he wants to end it all. Like I said
before, yes, inside-only cats live longer. As to feral cats, infant
mortality skews the numbers low- if they survive to adulthood, they can
easily last a lot longer. I think there is a happy medium, where you let
a cat have some outside time, and make it crap outside, but make it want
to come back inside by treating it nice and feeding it. Basically,
unless you have a large-enough yard, and don't live near heavy traffic,
you really aren't set up to have a cat. People in apartments or on tiny
urban lots really can't provide a proper range for a cat, much less a dog.

One more insistent observation: de-clawing. The downside of declawing a cat
is that you rob the cat of its primary weapon of offense and its primary
method of defense (it can't climb). The reason people de-claw their cats is
to protect their furniture. But the furniture is only furniture whereas the
cat is a member of the family.

As far as I am concerned, declawing should be considered animal cruelty,
and it should be a breach of professional ethics for vets to offer that
as a service. Would you like having your fingers and toes lopped off at
the first joint?

Like I said, I LIKE cats and dogs. I like them too much to impose my
world on them.

--
aem sends...

wrote:
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:54:46 GMT, aemeijers wrote:

They can't have it both ways- if adding predators
isn't allowed, feeding stations should also be banned as interfering
with nature

Agreed but if some other exotic like the afore mentioned Rottweiller,
decides a feral cat is a chew toy you should allow nature to take it's
course.
Unless a dog blunders into a den of kittens when the mother isn't
around, or a pack of dogs gangs up on a cat caught away from a tree to
climb, the odds are the cat will do just fine. Most dogs, once their
nose has been clawed once, learn real fast not to attack cats.

--
aem sends...

wrote:
On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:33:42 GMT, aemeijers wrote:

wrote:
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:54:46 GMT, aemeijers wrote:

They can't have it both ways- if adding predators
isn't allowed, feeding stations should also be banned as interfering
with nature
Agreed but if some other exotic like the afore mentioned Rottweiller,
decides a feral cat is a chew toy you should allow nature to take it's
course.
Unless a dog blunders into a den of kittens when the mother isn't
around, or a pack of dogs gangs up on a cat caught away from a tree to
climb, the odds are the cat will do just fine. Most dogs, once their
nose has been clawed once, learn real fast not to attack cats.

That probably works for little dogs.
You have never seen a dog pick up a cat and shake it until the neck
breaks I guess.

No, but I have seen a ten-pound tomcat embarrass big dogs on numerous
occasions. Unless the Big Dog utterly blindsides them, most adult cats
have the agility and speed to quickly land a telling blow. And of
course, if the dog and cat in question share the same roof, the cat
usually establishes the pecking order early on. (Hey dog? I know where
you sleep, dog. Be nice to me, or wake up with a shredded nose....)

aemeijers wrote:

That probably works for little dogs.
You have never seen a dog pick up a cat and shake it until the neck
breaks I guess.

No, but I have seen a ten-pound tomcat embarrass big dogs on numerous
occasions. Unless the Big Dog utterly blindsides them, most adult
cats have the agility and speed to quickly land a telling blow. And of
course, if the dog and cat in question share the same roof, the cat
usually establishes the pecking order early on. (Hey dog? I know where
you sleep, dog. Be nice to me, or wake up with a shredded nose....)

Agreed. Further, cats DO have some defensive capabilities. A cat, for short
distances, can hit 30 mph. Cats can also climb to avoid a fight.

Still, there are some dogs who are impervious to pain, devious to a fault,
and belive their mission in life is to kill or maim any living thing they
can find (i.e., pit bulls) that's not a member of their pack. Dogs are pack
animals and genetically programmed to attack (the pack has the best chance
of survival if all its members attack the prey).

This latter attribute is why hungry alligators in Florida need only come up
out of the drainage ditch near a retirement condo to get a free meal.
Presently some lap dog will get in the 'gator's face, barking ferociously!

Down the hatch!

aemeijers wrote:
HeyBub wrote:
aemeijers wrote:
(snip)

Allergies are a poor excuse: you can get shots.

Like I need an excuse? Eff up my body chemistry with expen$ive shots,
just for the opportunity to spend even more money providing a home for
an ungrateful animal I may see a few hours a week? I think not. And I
say that is somebody who LIKES cats, and grew up in house with them.
The allergies didn't come along until late teenage years, when I
somehow got sensitized to cats. Scratch tests, which they often
insist on before the shots, sometimes make you allergic to stuff you
were not allergic to before. Not an urban legend- I've know people
that it happened to. One of the things that made me decide avoiding the
source was the
simplest cure.

If the doc insists on a scratch test, tell him "no" and ask him for a
referral to a doctor that takes into account the patient's desires.

I used to put all manner of strange - and possibly hurtful - concoctions
into my body for the unrequited pleasure of being with my wife; she insisted
I eat what she prepared. Part of the deal was that I spend enormous sums to
provide a home for an ungrateful animal I only saw a few hours a week.

I can appreciate your evaluation of the stupidity of the arrangement.


Litter boxes are disgusting, and one of the best arguments against
'inside only' cats. Yes, people, they DO stink to high heaven. Your
nose is just numb from overexposure. Basic sanitation keeps the vermin
under control with no problem, thank you. I sublet an apartment once
from someone who had cats. A month later, I realized the place was
infested
with fleas. Had to do some nasty chemical warfare to clear that up,
not to mention a lot of tedious cleaning of my stuff before I could move
elsewhere.

There are alternatives for the fastidious. One is "LitterRobot." I've got
one and it works swell. Another is to train the kitty to use the commode.

"HeyBub" wrote in
:

Red Green wrote:
"HeyBub" wrote in
m:

aemeijers wrote:

I don't keep house pets. Aside from my allergies, it wouldn't be
fair to them. I'm gone around ten hours a day most days, and asleep
another 7 or 8. And if anything is gonna jump in my lap or rub my
ankles the other
six hours, it better be able to talk. I make do with watching the
birds and squirrels and turkeys and deer and raccoons and such in
the back yard. And if my bird feeder also feeds the occasional cat
or raptor, well, I didn't make the rules of the game. I don't know
what hard science the bird lovers have to offer, but I would wager
the increase in predation from housecats (and their feral offspring
and escapees) helps offset the reduced die-off and increased
population from all the backyard feeders. They can't have it both
ways- if adding predators isn't allowed, feeding stations should
also be banned as interfering with nature. (Note that many condo
communities with ponds, and public parks with water, already ban
duck feeding, just to reduce the amount of crap they have to clean
up. Ducks are lazy- a reliable source of food, and they will hang
around big-time, sometimes all winter in areas that are well north
of where you would expect to find them.)

Allergies are a poor excuse: you can get shots.

How much ever you sleep, I guarantee the cat will sleep more. Having
a cat as a house partner a symbiotic relationship; in return for
food, water, and a litter box, the cat will (usually) keep your
house free of pests like mice and roaches.

Further, countless studies show that people who have an indoor cat
or dog have fewer health problems, live longer, and have a rosier
outlook on life. Moreover, the chicks really dig a guy who has a
cat.

Cats can save you money, too. A couple of kittens and a big box of
packing peanuts (a kitty swimming pool) is good for hours and hours
of entertainment (for both of you).

And don't worry that you're interfering with the balance of nature.
A feral cat has a life-expectancy of three to four years. An indoor
cat can easily live into a third decade.

My personal longest living cat was a few months shy of 25 yrs when it
passed.


Into the its third decade. Right.

The indoor/outdoor ones I have usually avg about 15yrs. Not sure how long
one of my two I/O's will fare. He's always been FIV positive. Couldn't tell
by looking at him. One of the most of the most happy-go-lucky people
oriented critters I've had. Just have to get him to the vet even with minor
stuff since he has a weaker immune system.


Towser, the mouser-in-chief at the Glennturrent distillery lived to be
23. And she was catching mice up to the very end. All told, she caught
28,989 mice during her tenure and earned a place in the Guinness Book
of Records.

aemeijers wrote in
:

wrote:
On Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:33:42 GMT, aemeijers
wrote:

wrote:
On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:54:46 GMT, aemeijers
wrote:

They can't have it both ways- if adding predators
isn't allowed, feeding stations should also be banned as
interfering with nature
Agreed but if some other exotic like the afore mentioned
Rottweiller, decides a feral cat is a chew toy you should allow
nature to take it's course.
Unless a dog blunders into a den of kittens when the mother isn't
around, or a pack of dogs gangs up on a cat caught away from a tree
to climb, the odds are the cat will do just fine. Most dogs, once
their nose has been clawed once, learn real fast not to attack cats.

That probably works for little dogs.
You have never seen a dog pick up a cat and shake it until the neck
breaks I guess.

No, but I have seen a ten-pound tomcat embarrass big dogs on numerous
occasions.

And to that I present Cheerio (who has since passed).

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=23tpocj&s=5

That dog is like 150 lbs mind you. He took no **** from anyone or thing.
Again, extremely prople oriented including kids. When daughter was young
they would take him roller blading in arms. He stayed with them
willingly.

Unless the Big Dog utterly blindsides them, most adult cats
have the agility and speed to quickly land a telling blow. And of
course, if the dog and cat in question share the same roof, the cat
usually establishes the pecking order early on. (Hey dog? I know where
you sleep, dog. Be nice to me, or wake up with a shredded nose....)

Red Green wrote:

The indoor/outdoor ones I have usually avg about 15yrs. Not sure how
long one of my two I/O's will fare. He's always been FIV positive.
Couldn't tell by looking at him. One of the most of the most
happy-go-lucky people oriented critters I've had. Just have to get
him to the vet even with minor stuff since he has a weaker immune
system.


Yeah, I've got one named Boris who is likewise happy-go-lucky. Absolutely
wacky. Loves everybody, sleeps on a sloping roof on his back, all four paws
pointing to the moon, pretends he's stuck in a tree and yowls pitifully
(although only six feet from the ground), all sorts of crazy-cat antics.

On Fri 02 Jan 2009 07:21:57p, HeyBub told us...

Red Green wrote:

The indoor/outdoor ones I have usually avg about 15yrs. Not sure how
long one of my two I/O's will fare. He's always been FIV positive.
Couldn't tell by looking at him. One of the most of the most
happy-go-lucky people oriented critters I've had. Just have to get
him to the vet even with minor stuff since he has a weaker immune
system.


Yeah, I've got one named Boris who is likewise happy-go-lucky.
Absolutely wacky. Loves everybody, sleeps on a sloping roof on his back,
all four paws pointing to the moon, pretends he's stuck in a tree and
yowls pitifully (although only six feet from the ground), all sorts of
crazy-cat antics.

Our five are all indoor cats, mainly due to the large dogs and coyotes
roaming the neighborhood. We do take them outdoors with us into the
backyard, but only when we can spend time with them. With five, they
certainly entertain both themselves, each other, and us. Our eldest is now
17; our yougest is 4. They're in extremely good health.

We're gone a lot from home during the day, and though it's obvious they
miss us, I don't think they're the least bit lonely.


--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Friday, 01(I)/02(II)/09(MMIX)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
2wks 2dys 2hrs 6mins
************************************************** **********************
If all the economists in the world were laid end to end, they'd
point in different directions.
************************************************** **********************

"aemeijers" wrote in message
...


No, but I have seen a ten-pound tomcat embarrass big dogs on numerous
occasions. Unless the Big Dog utterly blindsides them, most adult cats
have the agility and speed to quickly land a telling blow. And of course,
if the dog and cat in question share the same roof, the cat usually
establishes the pecking order early on. (Hey dog? I know where you sleep,
dog. Be nice to me, or wake up with a shredded nose....)

When I was a kid my mother had an orange tom named lucky. He was hell on
wheels concerning dogs. I'll never forget the big dog that strayed into our
yard being pounced on by the cat. On his rapid retreat the sissy decided to
take a shortcut through dad's veggie garden, not realizing the far side had
a chicken-wire border. I couldn't see the old mutt through the tomatoes, but
could hear him howling when he hit the wire. He thought the cat had caught
him.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Yeah, I've got one named Boris who is likewise happy-go-lucky.
Absolutely wacky. Loves everybody, sleeps on a sloping roof on his
back, all four paws pointing to the moon, pretends he's stuck in a
tree and yowls pitifully (although only six feet from the ground),
all sorts of crazy-cat antics.

Our five are all indoor cats, mainly due to the large dogs and coyotes
roaming the neighborhood. We do take them outdoors with us into the
backyard, but only when we can spend time with them. With five, they
certainly entertain both themselves, each other, and us. Our eldest
is now 17; our yougest is 4. They're in extremely good health.

We're gone a lot from home during the day, and though it's obvious
they miss us, I don't think they're the least bit lonely.

I don't think they're lonely either. With the exception of lions, all cats
are solitary critters. They're quite content to be alone. That doesn't mean,
as you said, that they're not glad to see you. Heck, Dewey (book by the same
name) even took to waving "good morning" to the first arriving library
staffer.
http://www.amazon.com/Dewey-Small-To...80986&sr= 8-1

On Sat 03 Jan 2009 04:12:33a, HeyBub told us...

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

Yeah, I've got one named Boris who is likewise happy-go-lucky.
Absolutely wacky. Loves everybody, sleeps on a sloping roof on his
back, all four paws pointing to the moon, pretends he's stuck in a
tree and yowls pitifully (although only six feet from the ground),
all sorts of crazy-cat antics.

Our five are all indoor cats, mainly due to the large dogs and coyotes
roaming the neighborhood. We do take them outdoors with us into the
backyard, but only when we can spend time with them. With five, they
certainly entertain both themselves, each other, and us. Our eldest
is now 17; our yougest is 4. They're in extremely good health.

We're gone a lot from home during the day, and though it's obvious
they miss us, I don't think they're the least bit lonely.

I don't think they're lonely either. With the exception of lions, all
cats are solitary critters. They're quite content to be alone. That
doesn't mean, as you said, that they're not glad to see you. Heck, Dewey
(book by the same name) even took to waving "good morning" to the first
arriving library staffer.
http://www.amazon.com/Dewey-Small-To...d/dp/044640741
0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230980986&sr= 8-1

Aw, that's sweet! Of our 5 cats, 2 are females and 3 are males. Both the
females (the oldest and youngest of the whole bunch) are quite aloof and
can't be bothered with the other 3. One of the three males is older than
the other two. When the latter were introduced to the household as
kittens, the older male took over their "care", and the 3 are inseparable.
It's not uncommon to see 2 of the 3 or all 3 playing or sleeping together.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Saturday, 01(I)/03(III)/09(MMIX)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
2wks 1dys 12hrs 44mins
************************************************** **********************
There are only 2000 real people in the world -- the rest are bad
special effects.
************************************************** **********************

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:20:00 -0600, "HeyBub"
wrote:

That's how much the opossum oweighed! Caught him Monday night.

Meanwhile, my son had a small emergency: A young outdoor cat suffered a
"glove" wound, seemingly at the hands (so to speak) of two pre-dead
rotweillers.

A "glove" wound is where the skin/fur is sheared from the animal's tail -
like removing a glove.

Anyway, son gets an appointment with vet to have the tail repaired (actually
removed) and I used this as a teaching moment. He, I, the injured cat, and
the osurly opossum go to the vet's.

Only one of the six employees of the clinic had ever been this oclose to a
opossum.

Lots of ooh'ing and ahh'ing. The opossum ohissed at the technicians - they
ogiggled! The opossum opened wide his omouth - the employees remarked on the
many sharp oteeth! The three veterinarians on duty were more sanguine -
"I've known opossums," one said, "nasty ocreatures."

My son and his discouraged cat go home. The opossum and I go back to our
garage where I give the opossum a bowl of dry cat food. An hour later, the
food is gone, so Mr. Opossum and I take a little trip to a large field not
far away.

Last seen, the opossum was owaddling off into the night looking for more cat
food to ofilch.



I set a Hav-A-Hart to trap a groundhog. Instead, the next day I found
a possum stuffed completely inside the trap with no room. The possum
was square-shaped with the fur coming out all sides of the trap. I
opened the trap from both sides but the animal was stuck. I pushed
his butt with a toilet plunger, he came out of the trap on the other
side then quietly walked away. Came across to me like a stupid
animal.

Phisherman wrote:

I set a Hav-A-Hart to trap a groundhog. Instead, the next day I found
a possum stuffed completely inside the trap with no room. The possum
was square-shaped with the fur coming out all sides of the trap. I
opened the trap from both sides but the animal was stuck. I pushed
his butt with a toilet plunger, he came out of the trap on the other
side then quietly walked away. Came across to me like a stupid
animal.

Jeeze! That must have been one huge opossum, I thought they were about the
same size as a groundhog...

'Course I've only seen one groundhog in the fur. While visiting the Audubon
Society of Western Pennsylvania Sanctuary and Nature trails, I was
introduced to Harriet, their semi-pet groundhog. I told the executive
director that we didn't have groundhogs in my part of Texas, but we did have
armadillos.

"Tell ya what," I offered, "I'll trade you an armadillo for a groundhog!"

"Good God NO!" shuddered the Audubon guy, "Can you imagine what would happen
to the granny-ladies walking our bird-watching trails if an armadillo
waddled out in front of them?"