Thursday, September 11, 2014

MORE IN THE LIFE OF THE CALICO CAT

We've now had Candy with us for five weeks and I doubt any cat has settled down as well as this one has.  It's truly as though she's been with us forever.  She is so gentle and nothing seems to upset her at all.   I may have mentioned our lovely cleaning lady has a phobia about cats so with Precious she was fine as Precious would run outside until Jenny had gone, but Candy comes in and looks as though she may jump on Jenny's lap.  We make sure she doesn't of course (I don't think she actually would do so) and all is well.  Each fortnight I've managed to have Jenny stroke Candy's head while I am holding her (Candy that is) and today Jenny actually spent longer doing it so I am hoping with such a gentle little cat we may be able to help lessen Jenny's cat phobia.  Strangely enough Jenny's mum (back in the UK) also has a cat phobia but far worse apparently as Jenny said her mum would actually scream if a cat came into the room she was in.  I am not happy with spiders or thunderstorms so can understand what it is like to be afraid of something but am ever so thankful I've always loved having a cat in my life.


When the four weeks were up we let her out last Thursday and she was all over the garden sniffing and investigating everything.  She disappeared for a while and we were worried but after about an hour back she came and lay down under the patio for a rest.   I can't teach her to use the cat door though, which is a problem.  I partly open it and let her push herself through it but she's not keen and up till now we've propped it open with a little tack hammer I have so she can get back in the house, or out again if she wants to go out.  Just how I am going to make her push that little door open I am not sure.  I leave it unbolted and she will sit in front of it but make no effort to go through it.  Hopefully one day she will want/need to go out so much she will just do it.  We can only hope.  It is locked late afternoon and she stays in until about 9 or 10 a.m. next day.

This calico cat of ours seems to have a plastic bag fetish.  No matter how well I hide them she finds them and brings them to me with a little miaow as she drops them at my feet.   Once she's done that she loses interest in them.  They are those small see through plastic bags one keeps vegies in and when I am cooking dinner and there is an empty one I will pop it in a bowl next to where I'm working to either save or put in the recycle bin.  I've even hidden these bags beneath another large item in the bowl but she still finds them.  She found two yesterday and brought them to me and I can't help smiling when she does it as she looks so serious.  At least if I ever lose a plastic bag I can be sure Candy will find it for me.  Today she actually found one of the larger plastic shopping bags and that had to also be brought to me as a gift.

Candy has 'discovered' her scratching post and uses it to scratch (which we are pleased about), to play with the 'mouse' that hangs from it and also to sit on and look out of the front window.  She sometimes mistakes her own tail for the 'mouse' and it's hilarious to see her chasing her tail and the mouse in turn. You'd think she'd topple of but she never misses a beat.

"Now I've lost both of them"


 "You're taking my photo again aren't you?"


 I've not had to buy her any toys.  She loves pages out of our TV Times rolled up in a tight ball to chase, and the toilet roll or paper towel innards cut into smaller pieces.  She picks them up in her mouth or her paws, throws them up in the air and I feel she'd qualify for the Olympics with some of the gymnastic exercises she performs.  She is a pure delight to watch.  Here she is watching me taking her photo but you can see the roll of paper near her that she had been playing with.

"I know you think I'm photogenic and I'll pose for you any time you want me to"


There's still not been a night when she's not slept on the foot of Phil's bed.  Thirty five nights in a row without fail.  Seems I am the one she sits on in the afternoon and evening but it's Phil's bed she prefers at night. There are nights when it's too warm for Phil to have the eiderdown on so he folds it back and then during the night when he feels cold he has to pull it back up.  Nothing seems to upset Candy though as she just resettles and is back to sleep in a few moments.

I still look at her and think to myself that this is the cat I saw on the Facebook page of APS and my daughter had already fallen in love with her photograph (the first one on this page) as I did, and now here she is here living with us.  We feel it was meant to be as when we visited APS she stayed with us nearly all the time until we took her home.  Candy we are all so glad you liked us and are happy with us.

18 comments:

  1. She's very pretty indeed. I'm so glad it is working out well for the three of you.

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    1. I keep looking at her and need to pinch myself that she is actually ours. Fate, or something, took a hand here I am sure.

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    1. There's some about Candy that makes me smile too.

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  3. It was definitely meant. And I love that she has found a home in both yours and Phil's heart.

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    1. As I said above to Delores, I am sure Fate took a hand here.
      Phil said yesterday when I mentioned Precious that it all seemed so long ago and yes it's only two months since she went. I think the two cats are too different to be compared in any way and I'm thankful for that. Precious still holds a very special place in my heart.

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  4. I have always wanted a calico cat but there was never one the times I went to the animal shelter. We have gotten all of our cats there.

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    1. Hi Clauda and thank for popping in.
      I had a tortoiseshell years ago which I believe are also called calico but I'd never seen one with the colouring of Candy before. We were just so fortunate to find her when we did and have her take to us as she did at the animal shelter.
      She is very loving and we love her too.
      I think we should all get our kittens/cats from animal shelters so less cats have to be put down for not being wanted. APS never put animals down unless they are very ill and that is why I support them.

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  5. Candy is a very pretty cat and I'm glad she has settled so well. I often wish I had a fenced yard so Angel could go outside, he lived outside for his first four months and he still remembers I'm sure.
    Could you ask your vet or the animal shelter people for hints to get Candy to use the cat door?

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    1. Thanks River and yes, she is pretty and I think she knows it! It is indeed a pity Angel is confined indoors and I find that now Candy goes outside for a few hours a day (in and out of course) she is not quite so boisterous indoors although she still plays quite a bit and does maddies around the living room a couple of times a day. I could ask for advice on teaching a cat to use a cat door. I've been gently pushing her towards it so that eventually she pushes and goes through and could be improving just a little. Patience will hopefully win out.

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  6. Hari OM
    Hmmm seems blogger dropped the ball on delivering this to me in timely fashion, but at least I found it.... 'cos it was a delight to read! Mind you - cannot help thinking that now Candy is out and about, plastic bags may not be the only 'trophies' you will receive... YAM xx

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    1. You are so right about the trophies Yam. Today Candy brought in a few legless lizards which Phil had to capture and pop outside before they were damaged. I'm just hoping we never have baby snakes in the garden. Not seen one in 40 years so far and fingers crossed we never do.
      Glad you found this post OK. I am missing yours quite often so not ignoring you but just not seeing all posts. Sorry. xx

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  7. I'm so glad you found each other. My cat loves to play with balled up paper as well!

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    1. Yes we were fortunate with our/her choice. I think cats are a lot like children. You spend a fortune on toys and find they'd rather play with some household utensil or, as you say, rolled up paper for a cat.

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  8. Oh Mimsie, she's so adorable. I'm so happy you've found a new cat to love, and vice versa obviously x

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    1. Hi PPMJ....glad you like her. We felt a little guilty at first so soon after losing Precious but it was the right thing to do as we are both feeling so much 'lighter' with this little girl in our home. x

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