What's that period in life called, when a woman suddenly MUST HAVE BABY NOW?

[thistlechaser]

That's me, but it's cats and not babies. Three nights in a row now (THREE!) I've had dreams where I somehow ended up with a lot of cats. And by "lot" I mean 6-8 of them. In my dreams I'm always endlessly happy with so many cats, and just as importantly my current cat is happy with them.

So unrealistic! My cat and I have been living alone together (no other people or animals of any kind) for many, many, many years, there's no way my poor old kittygirl would be happy if I brought new cats in now. Plus, could you imagine the catbox work/smell made by 6-8 cats? Ugh!

I think this all started when I went to the petstore for more food. They had an adoption center and there was this lovely older female cat. So small, such a pretty shade of grey. She watched me through the glass, she seemed to want contact, but I couldn't risk asking to hold her otherwise I would have brought her home.

All this is further complicated by how hard it would be to bring another cat into the household. Mine gets no vaccinations anymore because she got cancer from them. (This is not some wacky thing where a parent won't get their kids vaccinated, it's a proven, accepted-by-vets, fact that feline vaccines caused a really aggressive, highly fatal form of cancer. 90-95% of cats who got it died, so I'm very very lucky mine didn't.)

Don't panic if you own a cat, they've changed how they give vaccines. Before they always did it in the scruff of the neck -- a horrible, horrible place for tumors to form (hello spine! hello brain!). Now they give them in legs, since those can be cut off as needed (wow, what a horrible statement, even if it's true). Plus they rotate between limbs; part of the cancer issue was that it was always given in the same spot year after year.

Anyway, I ramble! Today's message is: YAY CATS! And let's hope I always have the sense and willpower not to become a crazy cat hoarding person.

Comments

[gab.livejournal.com]

Hahaha :D You should get at least one more. I mean, two is always better than one! Someone for your kitty to play with, two kitties keeping you warm at night... I think it's a fab idea!

I have FOUR right now and it's totally awesome, even though only three are ours. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

While I hate to think of it, when my current cat dies, if I get another, it will be two of them. If nothing else, I have the money and the home, I'm able to take care of them food and vet-wise, and there are so many homeless pets out there...

I bet four would rock! My mother had four at one point, she used to describe how they all played together. :D

[gab.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, they are constantly playing. It's really great. And I love coming upstairs to find all four of them in a huge kitty pile on the bed. ;) Plus they branch off into smaller groups to play sometimes, too. It's really great.

And that sounds like a really good idea. I hope your current cat lives a long time despite, though, because you obviously love 'im/her so much. ^_^

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I do, yes. :)

And eee, that sounds so cute! I hope yours stay healthy and happy a long time too!

[fealubryne.livejournal.com]

Now they give them in legs, since those can be cut off as needed (wow, what a horrible statement, even if it's true).

*twitch*

True, yes, and I wholeheartedly agree that having a three-legged kitty is better than said kitty dying from cancer... but ugh. What an option. "Hello there, would you prefer your cat die, or simply have a limb amputated?" Is there a C, "None of the above"?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yes, totally agreed. Ugh. But still, the cats adapt to it pretty well, so I guess... :/

[kriatyrr.livejournal.com]

I don't know what the cat version of Baby Rabies is called. Feline Frenzy, perhaps?

I want more cats too, but my Odessa would never accept it. She has to be a single cat.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Heh, Feline Frenzy works!

And our cats match, both are single ladies!

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

I'm actually lucky we didn't end up with three. The two we got are brothers. The third one would've been too, if it wouldn't have been for the fact the first thing he did when my sister picked him up was hiss, fiercely try to get away from her, and then went into hiding.

I can understand about cats not liking additional cats in the household, I've heard of some jealousy between cats from the ladies I work with when new ones are brought in (One of them and their partner owns six cats, I believe.). I'd say it's good to get them both at the same time, and if they've had a chance to socialize already!

And I didn't know that about vaccines! =O And yeah, as terrible as it is to say, tripod kitty would be better than six-foot-under kitty.

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

I also feel out of place in this post with the lack of a kitty icon.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

If you have room for new icons, feel free to share this one!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I'd say it's good to get them both at the same time, and if they've had a chance to socialize already!

Yeah, lots of times I see siblings up for adoption together. Something like that would be perfect.

And yeah, as terrible as it is to say, tripod kitty would be better than six-foot-under kitty.

Very much so. :/

[achika-soladia.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I believe the term you're looking for is "Maternal Clock."

Maybe you have a "Felidaenal Clock?" =D

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha! I like that term best so far. :D

[veloxe.livejournal.com]

This totally explains what that thing on the back of my cats neck was... He had a big lump on the back of his head for the last like 5 years of his life because we never had enough money to do anything about it or even get it checked out. He ended up going for 12 years before he died though, at least he had a decent life span.

Although thinking that he went through that and was still just a happy kitty till he died makes me feel better then sending him through like kitty chemo and nuking his insides. Or whatever they would do for cats with cancer, I would only figure it'd be equal to or worse then what people have to go through.

Although now I know, when I get settled down in a place of my own, kitty will get shots in the leg, not neck! And it will be an orange tabby, named Pekoe 2.0. Or Pekoe Von Wiskerston II.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

12 with a tumor is a darned good life for a cat!

I think there is chemo for cats and dogs, but it's expensive and rare. In this case, the vet cut her open almost from head to tail, and took out the tumor and as much of the flesh/muscle around it as she could. It ended up looking horrible http://www.hot-hot-hot-catlove.com/photos/daxow.jpg but at least she lived!

All vets should know to give in the legs, but if not then yeah, totally tell them!

[namerankserial.livejournal.com]

There are two things that have saved me from being the Crazy Cat Lady. The first is that my local pet store only has adoptions from the local animal shelter. They host the cats at the store, but you have to go to the animal shelter to get the actual right to adopt the cat. I usually go to the store on Sundays, and the shelter is not open.

The second thing is, right about when I was thinking of getting a third cat, my two ladies, who have been sisters for seven years, randomly decided after returning from their vet annual that they no longer knew each other, and would fight viciously. So viciously that Beta Cat would hide on top of the fridge all day, or on the table, or anywhere UP, because Alpha Cat would not let her feet touch the floor without trying to END HER FOR ALL TIME.

Beta Cat would come down at night and pee on anything I'd foolishly left on the floor.

They get along again now, but I am terrified it would happen again and I'd have to have three litter boxes all over the house, for the LONGEST time Beta Cat refused to use the one that smelled like Alpha Cat. IT WAS INSANE.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

randomly decided after returning from their vet annual that they no longer knew each other, and would fight viciously.

How odd! I wonder if they smelled differently from being at the vet? Different enough to seem like a non-familiar animal?

I'm so lazy about litterboxes. I do my one cat's one box twice a week, which I worry might be pushing it a little. If she ever discovers that she can pee elsewhere, I'm going to kick myself.

[citizenbleys.livejournal.com]

Just remember, if you get 8 cats, you need to come up with 8 names that you can live with. Not "Oh, I'll just call that one furrball" and then two weeks later you come up with the greatest name ever and it's too late.

That's why if I ever get more cats, they have to be male. I can only think of male cat names. Mostly because I'm a Wing Commander fan and having a cat named Thrakkhath nar Kiranka would be awesome

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*laughs* In general, my pets are poorly named. I had a dog named Puppy and a cat named Cat. They tend to only get "real" names when they come with the name. Dax was Dax before I got her!

So, if I had eight cats, they would likely be named Kitten, Cat, Black Cat, Spotted Cat, Fat Cat, and the like.