Cats

Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you SEE it?It's almost here...Finally Friday!!!
Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you SEE it?It's almost here...Finally Friday!!!
about 2 hours ago
IZA: Hi there! Glad you could visit to come along on todays garden tour. I have some VERY pretty flowers ta show. With the warming weather, the rains, and the sun, some of the plants are bloomin their little flowerheads off! Firs...
IZA: Hi there! Glad you could visit to come along on todays garden tour. I have some VERY pretty flowers ta show. With the warming weather, the rains, and the sun, some of the plants are bloomin their little flowerheads off! First, I want to show ya the star of todays tour. Isnt that bootiful? Its a single Clematis flower that poked through the Nandina shrubs. Its the same kind (but not the same plant) what is in our header. We lost the name of it.Close to it and down low here is a clump of Spiderwort. Lots of English plants end in "wort" (TBT tells me) and means "cures it".Over here is the Wave Petunia TBT overwintered. The stems are gettin longer and there are new buds forming. Iffen it does well this year, there will be a 2' circle of flowers by late Summer! And here we have a cheerful little Pansy full of happy little faces! I told TBT that, next year, he should plant a purple one an a yeller one in the same hole and get both colors together. He dint look too thrilled about buying twicet as many Pansies this Fall, BUT I could see his face imaginin the way they would look. MOL, readin his face is SO EASY...This is the one lone survivor of a patch planted way before I got here. We dont know its name and it grows from one single stem so we cant divide it an get more. I just hope it keeps showin up again each year. Lets see, whats next... One last Columbine here is still bloomin. I wish we had more of THAT one! This Rose is the last of a bed TBT planted when he moved here. WAY before my time. Before Skeeters time, in fact. He gave up on them cuz those Japanese Beetles ate them all up. But this one blooms really early, before those beetles wake up all hungry. Now lets go up on the deck fer treats an ta talk about the flowers. Marley was a little bit annoyed at the common stuff Ayla offerred last week, so he "offerred" to do the catering this week. Lets see what he chosen...Ooh, we have HAM and Chick-hen cubes, bits of cheese, and some fancy treats. Fer drinks, we have toona juice, rainwater-blended-with-Nip (from the freshly-cleaned rain gauge), and some heavy cream! Way ta go, Marley!
about 3 hours ago
Monika is making pan cakes this morning. She and Bob seem to like them, but Bob gave me a small piece once and I turned my nose up at it and walked away.*laughs*
Monika is making pan cakes this morning. She and Bob seem to like them, but Bob gave me a small piece once and I turned my nose up at it and walked away.*laughs*
about 4 hours ago
I recently heard from a man named Alan who comes from a family of professional dog-trainers. He says he always had dogs in the house but never cats, because "family members either don't like them, are indifferent to cats, or think they b...
I recently heard from a man named Alan who comes from a family of professional dog-trainers. He says he always had dogs in the house but never cats, because "family members either don't like them, are indifferent to cats, or think they belong outside where they can keep vermin in check." The family, which uses clicker training to train dogs, "believes that cats just do their own thing and that they can't be trained." They also believe that "cats are loners, and that bad behaviors can never be changed." But Alan is different. Not only does he love cats and prefer living with them over dogs, he has also trained one of his cats to give him "high fives." He wants me to help him convince his family that "bad cat behavior can be changed and that cats can be trained the same way dogs are trained." We live in an era where information about cats and cat behavior is readily available, yet many people still believe myths and fallacies about them. Two of the most common are that cats will do whatever they want, regardless of input from the people around them, and that they are untrainable. Sadly, these fallacious beliefs often have serious and sometimes fatal consequences for cats. Many people surrender their cats to shelters and/or have them euthanized for behavior problems that can be resolved. Others, instead of working to change the behaviors, will turn cats loose outside, believing the cats will be able to “fend” for themselves. Cats are not stuck in their ways Share this image I clicker train Ambrose, the cat of Catster Managing Editor Vicky Walker. function changeWidth(obj) { if(parseInt($(obj).parent().width()) > parseInt($(obj).width())) { $(obj).parent().css({'width':$(obj).width()}); } if(parseInt($(obj).width()) Cat behavior problems can be resolved, and cats are easy to train. Unwanted behaviors can be stopped through a combination of addressing the reasons for the behavior, positive reinforcement, and changing the environment. Clicker training, the same method your family uses for dog training, is very effective for training cats and for changing annoying behaviors. It is a reward-based training technique rooted in classical (remember Pavlov’s dog?) and operant conditioning. It is based on the scientific premise that animals (not just cats) repeat behaviors when their actions are immediately followed by rewards or positive consequences. Training has benefits Clicker training can be used to teach cats tricks such as shaking hands, rolling over and jumping through hoops on cue, and it’s also very effective for stopping unwanted behaviors and building new ones. Clicker training also helps cats feel secure, it reduces stress, it strengthens the bonds between cats and their people, and it is mentally stimulating. It is a great way to focus the cat away from the problem behavior while giving the cat something more acceptable and fun to do. It is one of the tools in my virtual took kit, useful for helping my cat behavior consultation clients change annoying cat behaviors. Share this image Sudan investigates the clicker. function changeWidth(obj) { if(parseInt($(obj).parent().width()) > parseInt($(obj).width())) { $(obj).parent().css({'width':$(obj).width()}); } if(parseInt($(obj).width()) Did I mention it’s fun? Clicker training is fun for the trainer and the trainee. People are impressed at how smart their cats are and at their own training abilities. It is powerful stuff! And, it is a tool available to everyone. Here are the basics: Assemble the tools The first step to clicker train cats is assembling two fundamental tools. The first is a treat the cat adores. In Clicker-Speak, the treat is called a
about 6 hours ago
I have not shared my outtakes in a long time so here is a roundup of them. As you can see, even though I am a professional model, sometimes my photos are not picture-perfect. This is usually the fault of the photographer. ...
I have not shared my outtakes in a long time so here is a roundup of them. As you can see, even though I am a professional model, sometimes my photos are not picture-perfect. This is usually the fault of the photographer. I hope you enjoyed my less-than-perfect photos!
about 6 hours ago
I see so many things changing all 'round the house.  And lots of boxes everywhere.  (I do love boxes!)  The ZH keeps taking things from one place and putting them into boxes.  So I thought I should put some of my things into boxes, and...
I see so many things changing all 'round the house.  And lots of boxes everywhere.  (I do love boxes!)  The ZH keeps taking things from one place and putting them into boxes.  So I thought I should put some of my things into boxes, and I gathered up my toys.  At first I could not find my favorite "pinky".  But then I was thankful that I did find "pinky"! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We also want to
about 7 hours ago
We are Hosting this Week's Carnival Of The Cats At The Tuxedo Gang Hideout! Please Send You Post To The CarnivalOfTheCats@gmail.comOr Just Leave A Link HERE!!
We are Hosting this Week's Carnival Of The Cats At The Tuxedo Gang Hideout! Please Send You Post To The CarnivalOfTheCats@gmail.comOr Just Leave A Link HERE!!
about 9 hours ago
Mum has been seeing lots of this lately, my snuggled up keeping warm pose. Tis a bit cold and chilly here at Chez Q. The wind is blowing up from the south (Antarctica) and we is feeling it. The mumster has her scarf and gloves on unde...
Mum has been seeing lots of this lately, my snuggled up keeping warm pose. Tis a bit cold and chilly here at Chez Q. The wind is blowing up from the south (Antarctica) and we is feeling it. The mumster has her scarf and gloves on under her jacket to and from work. We spent the night snuggled up together, and I had to wake mum up and tell her when I got in from my toilet breaks outside. I like to let her know if it has been raining outside - just in case she didn't know.Mum says she does like heading to bed early to read her book snuggled up with me, that's the good thing about winter, especially now she has warm fleecy sheets.
about 9 hours ago
::MEOW::Hello and Welcome to Garden Thursday with Virginger. Goodness, how time is moving on! It is already Memorial Day weekend coming up. Mum needs to get some flowers to plant in pots outside, really soon. I will need to get on her ab...
::MEOW::Hello and Welcome to Garden Thursday with Virginger. Goodness, how time is moving on! It is already Memorial Day weekend coming up. Mum needs to get some flowers to plant in pots outside, really soon. I will need to get on her about that. This is our crabby apple tree from outside, pretty much in full bloom the other morning when mum went out to take pictures. This is the view we get from inside from mum's sleepy spot! Nice and pretty to wake up to in the morning. Sadly, the blooms don't last long, specially on rainy and windy days like we are having. Lots of pink confetti on the ground.Mum cut off some lilac's and took them to work with her to enjoy while she day hunts. They smell so pretty but they don't last very long once cut. Some of our special fevver furiends, Mr and Mrs Baltimore Oriole. They are so fun to watch when they come to the feeder. Plus they stand out so well in the trees. Me, since it is cool and rainy outside, I even came in for a long nap with Derbs. Just catching up on what we need to bug mum about.So that is the garden report for this week.Love, Virginger.
about 11 hours ago
Today is day 22 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog (Her day 22 story) . My month long series begins here:     Here is my next one, as we begin to head into the home stretch....
Today is day 22 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog (Her day 22 story) . My month long series begins here:     Here is my next one, as we begin to head into the home stretch.... Letting Go by Nikita Cat Sept. 2005 Another year at Cambridge was beginning and as William packed for the trip back to school he contemplated the old photo in its frame on the wall of his room; he knew that Aubrey was probably long dead, but some part of him simply refused to let go of hope entirely so the photo remained in its place of honor, even as the family eventually adopted a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel they named Macbark that he loved in spite of himself. Taking the photo down, he put it in a drawer, sighed, and closed the door behind him.
about 11 hours ago