Cardboard Cat Condo--Fun To Make, Fun for Your Cats!

This is a picture of the cat condo my dad, Harry, made out of cardboard.  He loved building things and was very adept at working with cardboard since he worked at St. Regis for years as a box designer.  Softie, another all black cat, is inside on the second floor.  Sorry you can't see it too well in this picture. 

If you have cats, you know they love boxes, right?  I had fun making one for my two cats, Spunky Doodle and Manny Boy using boxes from Christmas in 2012.  I even put a musical Christmas card down in the bottom left corner by the "welcome" sign that played when the cats popped the card open.  This stayed in our upstairs hallway for some time (I think my husband thought I was nuts, but put up with it.)  Can I help it if I take after my dad?  You might enjoy reading Spunky Doodle's post:  "We Got Boxes" that also includes my video demonstrating how to make a cat condo with Spunky Doodle in action.  You really should take a look!

Go ahead, make one for your cats!  Have some fun!   

Have You Ever Seen a Porch Like This?

My dad's porch was small.  What you see in the picture shows just about the full length except for the space by the steps in front of the two front doors--one for upstairs where his cats Softie, Sweet Thing and Sylvester resided and one for downstairs.  At first he put up the heated "Kitty Motel" that had a swinging door at the end that the cats could push to go in and out.  Most liked the top where the food buffet was.

The home-made scratching post was added later.  He asked me to look for a comfortable light-weight chair so he could sit on the porch with his cats during the summer.  The green plastic chair in this picture is the one I found for him.  As you can see, the cats liked it too!  I think this is his favorite cat, Blackie, using it.  Blackie was the first cat that came around and followed my dad everywhere.

My dad, Harry, was a kind soul and he enjoyed the neighborhood cats.  He did everything he could short of putting out catnip to entice them to his porch and make them comfortable.

What do you have on your porch?  Ever see one like this?

Best post of the week--link up at Serenity Now.

My Dad Would Have Loved This!

My dad, being the cat lover he was would be very happy to know the Barrister bookcases he made for me have been put to good use! Whenever I open the glass, a cat usually jumps in and spends some time inside.

Manny enjoying the bookcase.

Spunky Doodle making herself at home in the bookcase.

Here is a video of Manny choosing a book:

Meet My Dad's Cats

All my dad's cats have gone to "cat heaven" but I still think of them and miss them.

Kittens

Spunky Rooey on top - the one I took in; renamed Spunky Doodle as it grew up.


Razzle Frazzle

Very bushy shy cat who never wanted to come inside.


Sweet Thing aka Whacky

My favorite of dad's cats-very shy, loved to be brushed..

Sylvester

Very affectionate, had feline aids and private room.

Softie

Looked like Blackie, playful little thing and very soft.

Timi

Liked sneaking out but always came back.

Striper (the Entertainer)

Loved to climb and ride on dad's back and got the cat nip out of the kitchen cupboard!  

Really liked the basement!.

Bootsie

Nice cat, only cat who was allowed inside while my mom was still alive--stayed in hallway.

Diamond Jim

All black except a white diamond shape on chest. (actually, this is Timi but don't have good picture of DJ so this is close.

Scruffy

Friendliest and saddest looking cat ever! Always followed me and wanted inside -always hanging out by front door.


Blackie

Dad's Best Friend

I became a cat lover after getting to know my dad's cats.

I Was Here First—Cats Rule!

I often remember laughing at my dad when he would go to sit down and find one of his cats in his chair. His cats had a knack for knowing where he was going next it seemed. Harry never shooed the cat off and fortunately didn’t ever sit on his cat even though he came close a few times. He just let the cat have his chair and he would sit somewhere else. Well, now I do the same thing and thought about my dad and his cats as soon as it happened!

My Manny boy was lying on the chair under the dining room table (pictured). When I pulled it out, it was heavier than usual and then I saw my nice cat lying on it. At first, I was going to ask him to leave but since there was a free chair next to it because Gerard was walking the dog, I just pushed Manny back under the table where he was and I sat in the chair next to him to eat my breakfast.

What chairs do your cats seem to like most? Do you chase them off or let them stay if they are in the chair you want? Who’s the boss at your house—you or your pet?

I am donating 50 cents per comment this month to Heifer International.  Let me know if you would like us to donate a goat, pig or sheep with your comment.

This is part of Saturday Suggestions blog hop at Mona's Milestones and Pet Pride.

“My Cat From Hell” Is Entertaining And Educational!

Thanks to The Best of 2011 blog hop over at "A Pause on the Path," I discovered that this is my most viewed post for the year!

Cats On Tuesday

My cats enjoying the cat tree.

“My Cat From Hell” is a TV show on Animal Planet that I wish I had seen when my dad was still alive.  “My Cat From Hell” is an entertaining show.  The cat behaviorist helps people who are at the wits end with their monster cats.

So far the three times I’ve watched, once the people change some things, the cats come around.  They showed some of the following extreme cases: a black and white feral cat coming into the home that already had two other cats, a white cat who bit and scratched the person while he slept, and a Sphinx hairless cat who got into everything including chewing wires and knocking things over.

It was funny when the cat behaviorist was trying to get the feral cat out of its hiding place in the wood shop and into the carrier.  I was actually rooting for the cat.  Sure enough, even the “expert” couldn’t get that cat into the carrier.  It took off really fast!  It made me feel better about not being able to get my cat in.

My dad would have enjoyed this show very much because it’s all about making cats happy.  He loved his stray cats but the ones he brought inside I don’t think were very happy, at least not the ones who lived upstairs of his double house rent free.  By watching this show, I learned a few things that I didn’t know before:

(1)  There are basically two categories of cats, tree dwellers and bush dwellers.  Bush dwellers like to hide in bushes, tree dwellers like to be up high.  You want to encourage your cat to be up and in the open spaces.

under the bed

(2)  A cat that is hiding or attacking does so because they are afraid, stressed out and not happy. 

(3)  Cats do not like to be confined in small rooms with little to do or things to climb on.  If you can provide high places for them all around the room, they will be much happier.

I believe these are some of the things dad would have done for his cats if he had seen this show:

1.  Get them some cat trees!  This gives the cat a place of their own from which to observe from up high.  I don’t know why I never thought of buying them one of these.  I have one for my cats and they love it!  They usually go on that instead of the furniture. 

feather on a stick

2.  Use interactive toys.  Cats like playing with their owners.  Just putting cat toys out for the is not very exciting for them; however, when those toys move they become very interested and pounce, chase and jump.  (I played with dad’s cats when I would visit but I don’t think he ever did.) 

3.  Provide high places.  He probably would have built some shelves for them to jump on so they could get up on top of the valance or other higher places.  He may have even built a special shelf for them to go on around the room up near the ceiling.  Looking back, he had their cat beds always on the floor for Softie and Sweet Thing.  They probably would have liked them on the window seat better.

Have you seen this show?  What do you think of it?  If you like cats or have a problem with your cat, you really should watch it sometime! 

I am donating 50 cents per comment during May to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here Available as e-book (http://outskirtspress.com/myfunnydadharry/).

Check out more Saturday Sampling posts or link up one of yours--best posts of the week over at Half-Past Kissin' Time..

Happy Shabby Chic Day!

When I saw this I just had to write about my dad's cats decorating skills. He had a total of 6 cats inside at one point. The cats liked going under his couch and reaching up to claw the edge at the bottom of it. It was a white couch covered with black furs!  He had a white chair to match which the cats loved to claw up the arms. This was one reason my mom never allowed cats in the house.  They weren't allowed in until after she died.

Sweet Thing by scratching post watching Softie Playing

Sweet Thing was the most talented decorator of all his cats. He actually clawed up the rug by the living room door and my dad put a board over it to get him to stop. Sweet Thing and Softie both liked to play and in this picture, Sweet Thing is watching Softie play from his scratching post that they pretty much tore apart! My dad made it himself for them with just some old leftover carpeting and some wood.  Sorry I don't have pictures of their work.

On the other hand, Spunky Doodle was just a little kitten (a/k/a Spunky Rooy) when I brought her into our home but knew if she lived with me, I had to get her front paws declawed too.  She was born to a stray at my dad's and was the last kitten of the litter left to find a home.    I felt so bad doing it, but she forgave me!  When she was a kitten, she tore my curtains.  Here is some of her cute decorating work:

Oooh, this is so much fun!

Spunky "Rooy" messed up the den.  She did pull the toilet paper out too but I cleaned that up right away.

I am donating 50 cents per comment this month to Samaritan's Purse to help with the relief effort there. To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here Available as e-book (http://outskirtspress.com/myfunnydadharry/).

Visit the Cat's Meow to Find more participants!

The Cat Nip Mission: Cat Won!

Striper, Before Dad Brought Him In

When I came across these Clips of cats opening doors over at Sparkle The Designer Cat, it reminded me of one of my dad's cats, Striper.  My dad had stocked up on some catnip and in trying to find a safe storage place for it, he put it in on the second shelf of one of the top kitchen cupboards.

Striper, of course, smelled it and since he was a fantastic climber, he had a plan.  My dad was dozing in the dining room and heard a bunch of noise coming from the kitchen. When he went to investigate, he saw the top cupboard open and Striper on the floor between the stove and the sink with a bunch of stuff from the cupboard all around him, trying to open the bag of catnip which had been on the second shelf!

It always fascinates me how smart and agile cats are.  They are beautiful animals and my dad loved his cats very much.  They were great companions for him in his old age and kept him laughing!  My love for cats came through knowing his cats.

R.I.P.

Don't forget to click on the above link to view the cat clips--they are short and well-done!   

To enter a giveaway for "My Funny Dad, Harry" visit Red Pine Mountain.  The Drawing from those commenting on the post will be entered in the Feb. 5 giveaway!

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here.

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An Easy Way To Help The Last Hope Cat Kingdom

My dad would love it that I have decided to use this blog (as well as my other two) to help the Last Hope Cat Kingdom rebuild their no-kill shelter that burned down. I will donate $1 to Last Hope Cat Kingdom for each legitimate comment received during January on our three blogs.

My dad always had a lot of compassion for the homeless cats that roamed his neighborhood and if I had known about a no-kill cat sanctuary when I was looking for homes for his cats after he died, it may have saved their lives. I hope you will visit our other blogs too since this one is only updated about once a week or two.

I will change the charity from month-to-month on a three month trial basis, and if I like how it works out, will continue throughout this year.

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here. Tweet This

Time To Decorate

My dad would have loved this video so just had to post it here.





I wish all my readers a very Merry and Blessed Christmas! Hope you will celebrate our Savior's birth in a big way!

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here. Tweet This

What To Get Dad For His Birthday Is No Longer A Problem

My dad's birthday would be Thursday if he were still alive. I think about how hard it was to know what to get him and wish I still had that problem.

Growing up, I thought it would be so much easier if he liked sports because then I could by him sport equipment or team apparel. I did manage to come up with a few really good things for him that he wore even though he always said he didn't need any new clothes. A lumberjack jacket was one of the best gifts I gave him. He liked the fleece pullover I got him too.

In his later years, I used to buy him things for his cats.  This is a picture of Sylvester in the bed we got him which he loved!  He liked that even though it wasn't actually something he used himself. I sure wish he was still alive! I haven't a clue what I would get him this year if he were, but I'd find something. 

In cleaning out his house after he died, I came across a pile of birthday cards I had given to him over the years. I was surprised he saved them because I didn't think men cared about cards, but they must have meant something to him.

If you still have parents to shop for, you may find it hard to know what to get them, but that's one problem you should be glad you have!

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here. Tweet This

November Is Adopt A Senior Pet Month! Wouldn't You Like One?

My Dad Petting My Cat, Moe

 

Since my dad loved cats so much, I thought it appropriate to write about "Adopt A Senior Pet Month" here.  My husband and I adopted two senior pets, our cat, Moe, in 200 when the shelter estimated his age at eight and our dog, Abby, in 2009 through www.petfinder.com at an estimated age of five.  Both turned out to be great pets. Over at the Conscious Cat, is a post listing The Top 7 Things About Older Cats.  They are all so true.

Speaking from personal experience, cats are less work than dogs simply because you do not have to walk them at least twice a day and also are cheaper because dogs eat more and their vet care is more frequent.  My dad didn't walk his dog though.  (He just put down litter in a section of the basement and then shoveled it out when the dog went down there.  It still stunk!  I don't know why he did that!  I don't recommend it.)  When we got Moe, I was looking for a cat that would basically lay around and not wreck things.  Moe was perfect.  There are so many nice cats and dogs just waiting for a loving home.  They have so much love to give and are wonderful companions!

If you like, read about Moe's adoption story and Abby's adoption story:  Disappointment Turned To Joy and My New Home by Abby.

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here. Tweet This

Dad and I Differ On This--Do Vets Really Care Or Do They Just Want Our Money?

I have a cat, Manny, who dose not like being picked up, is afraid of going into a carrier, and of course, hates going to the vet. We do take our cats once a year for their annual checkups which my dad never did with his cats. I believe it's a good idea to do but dad didn't for the following reasons:

(1) He felt unless they were sick, it wasn't necessary.
(2) He was afraid they would outlive them anyway and didn't know what would happen to them when he died.
(3) Vet care is not cheap and he was a bit worried about running out of money.

When I was told Manny's teeth should be cleaned and they would put him out to do it, I knew if dad was still alive he would advise me against it. I believe the vets care about our pets and are not just out to get our money. I went along with this and scheduled Manny to have it done. I was doing well getting him to the vet twice in three weeks! But then they called and said his back molars are rotting and should come out. I said, okay, do whatever is best for Manny hoping dad was wrong about vets. We brought him home later that day, had to give him soft food for two weeks and pain medicine for one week which I was very pleased that I could do it! Cost = $500!

We couldn't get Manny back a third time for them to check to make sure everything was okay, but he seems normal and is even more affectionate than ever so we blew off the follow-up visit. Manny absolutely refused to go back. We tried to get him into the carrier for four hours unsuccessfully.

What do you think? Is it worth putting the cats through all this vet care or was my dad right?

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here. Tweet This

Who Are Cat People?

This is a video about an amazing cat sanctuary I wish I had known about when I was trying to find homes for my dad's three cats after he died. Two of them had FIV (Feline aids) and the other was a small thing with parasites. They were all nice cats, the two males just didn't get along and neither were neutered. Judie and her husband are real cat people. They used their retirement savings to get this no-kill cat sanctuary going and it costs $15,000 a month to keep it running. They've been going for eight years now!

My dad would have loved to volunteer at a place like this and I'm sure if he had known about it, would have been sending them money to help support it. That is why I send a monthly donation. I felt so bad I couldn't save his cats, but by supporting this sanctuary, I am able to have a small part at saving others. Perhaps you could help too?

Because my dad had such a soft spot for cats, I included some stories about them in the book I wrote in memory of my dad, My Funny Dad, Harry.  He was by no means the perfect cat owner, but he did love them very, very much and always let them rule in his house--scratching up anything they wanted and napping anywhere they wished.  They loved him very much too!

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here.

Stop by Saturday Samplings for highlighted posts of the week at Half-Past Kissin' Time.

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Which Cat Did This?

I thought it might be a fun series to give you some insight into my dad's cats by doing some little "Who Am I" posts. I haven't posted much about his cats on here but they were very important to him and a huge part of his life after my mom died. So, here's some things about my favorite one of his cats:

Clawed up the carpet by the hallway door.

Loved being brushed. All I had to do was pick up the brush and he would jump up on the table and lay down for as long as I wanted to brush him.

Licked so much, he had bald spots--the Revolution fixed the problem.

When he went to the vet, his skin was so thick the vet was afraid his needle would break.

Liked clawing cardboard and laying on the air conditioner box that Harry never opened.

Liked laying on the brand new air conditioner box that Harry never opened in the middle of the upstairs dining room.

Fought with Sylvester whenever he left the bedroom room.

Afraid of strangers and would hide from them the best he could.

Never scratched people even though he clawed the scratching post to bits.

Never was neutered, did some spraying in the house.

This was Sweet Thing, the black and white cat who outlived Harry.

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here. Tweet This

Playing With Cats Is Great Fun!

I used to love visiting my dad and his cats. I had to be very careful though when playing with his cats because none of them were declawed. Occasionally, I would got scratched because they were so quick and sometimes their mood would change unexpectedly. I did try to be careful though. My dad's first and favorite cat, Blackie, used to like riding around on his wheelchair. I would push the chair with the cat sitting or laying on it as best I could along the path between the junk in the dining room and into the living room and kitchen.

My cat, Spunky Doodle, was a kitten born to a stray at my dad's that I took in. Spunky is not 5 years old and I am so glad I have her. She is still a lot of fun. Just last week I discovered another game she likes--spinning on our chair! She climbed up on the back of the chair and I just started spinning it around very slowly and discovered she liked it! I told Gerard, my husband, to take a video so I could post it on my blog to share. (Visit Spunky's blog here.)

Cats are so much fun and so little work. I never really liked cats until I met the cats at my dad's. He fed the stray cats of the neighborhood and so they congregated at his house. I loved petting them when i visited. A few he brought inside. What games do your cats like or how do you keep them entertained?

To find out more about my book and why I wrote it, read the Foreword here.
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