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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / September 2004Mouse
I had my computer into the computer shop to fix my printer and when I got it home the mouse wouldn't work. I tried everything, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Took the computer and mouse back to the computer shop and the youthful guru picked the problem in a flash. "Look," he said giggling, "something has been gnawing at your mouse cord. SOMETHING!!!!! I looked closely at the cord. "See," said the guru, "look at the teethmarks. You don't have rats, do you? Rats often get into peoples' computers." "No," I said grimly, "but we do have Burmese cats!!!" Later I went up to the Computer shop to buy a new $40 mouse. Guess who I met there, Lois, the indirect cause of all my problems. I showed her the teethmarks on the mouse cord. The wires were all frayed and some bitten through. "This is all your fault," I said accusingly. Lois looked thoughtful, "I wonder what the cords are like behind my computer," she said. Bev  SignatureThe email of the species is more deadly than the mail. >I had my computer into the computer shop to fix my printer and when I >got it home the mouse wouldn't work. I tried everything, [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >Lois looked thoughtful, >"I wonder what the cords are like behind my computer," she said. I never had that problem, though before Sammy's sibleys left for their forever homes they discovered the power strip. They didn't chew on any cords, but did turn the computer on in the middle of the night, or off at the most inopportune times. For a while I had carboard covers over the buttons, but they lost interest pretty quickly. That's not to say that I never had any critters chew up cords. Before the cats my cockatiels used to be out of their cage whenever I was home. Sunny was pretty much a permanent fixture on my shoulder, so she never bothered the cords. But Tiger was never comfortable on my shoulder, and used to roam around the desk when I was using the computer. I didn't realize he was chewing on the cords until the speakers quit. When I checked I found the speaker wires very well chewed, as well as beak marks on the zip drive cord. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html >> I had my computer into the computer shop to fix my printer and when I >> got it home the mouse wouldn't work. I tried everything, [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > speakers quit. When I checked I found the speaker wires very well > chewed, as well as beak marks on the zip drive cord. you had a cockatiel named Tiger? You were definitely spoiling to be a Paw Paw :) >> That's not to say that I never had any critters chew up cords. Before >> the cats my cockatiels used to be out of their cage whenever I was [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >you had a cockatiel named Tiger? You were definitely spoiling to be a Paw >Paw :) Yep, I have a Tiger cockatiel. My pet names usually reflect their appearance. I got Sunny free from a pet store when her first people returned her with a broken wing. The wing healed crooked, and she has no lift when she flies. If she takes off from a high spot she can circle the room a couple times, getting lower each cycle. I had her three or four years before I thought it would be nice if she had a companion, so I bought Ti. Sunny didn't appreciate the new arrival. When I brought Ti home she tried to challenge for the top of the pecking order, and her displays reminded me of a snarling tiger. Ti was all bluff, though. Whenever the displays got on Sunny's nerves Sunny would chase her. The main difference was that Ti was all bluff like a kid on a playground. Sunny skipped the posturing and charged in like she was going to tear Ti to bits. As soon as Sunny charged Ti stopped the posturing and took off for the hills. They never really fought, since Ti always gave up and could always get away. I still have the birds, Sunny is probably around 15 and Ti around 12. By the time the cats came along the pecking order was well enough established that the birds could stay in the same cage. They're still are exactly friends, though. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html >>> That's not to say that I never had any critters chew up cords. Before >>> the cats my cockatiels used to be out of their cage whenever I was [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > established that the birds could stay in the same cage. They're still > are exactly friends, though. Well, company is company :) > I got Sunny free from a pet store when her first people returned > her with a broken wing. The wing healed crooked, and she has no lift > when she flies. GRRRRRR - they *returned* the bird because it was "broken"? Some people's values are so skewed! Joyce > > I got Sunny free from a pet store when her first people returned > > her with a broken wing. The wing healed crooked, and she has no lift > > when she flies. > >GRRRRRR - they *returned* the bird because it was "broken"? Some people's >values are so skewed! I'm pretty sure how it happened she was hurt, too. Cockatiels don't have a vicious bite like the larger birds, but they can bite hard enough to draw blood. So, some people, instead of going slow and gaining the bird's trust, try to finger train the bird using gloves. Well, living in SW Oklahoma, in the winter I often wear gloves. But, being in the Army at the time, I usually worn black gloves. Sunny never reacted in the least to the gloves. That is until, one day I happened to come in carrying some brown gloves. Sunny FREAKED and went into a full blown panic. After a couple such episodes I learned that she was deathly afraid of brown gloves, and would panic if she could see them. So, brown gloves are out in this house, tan or black are considered safe. At least I got a free bird, a very sweet and loving bird BTW who has never tried to give me a serious bite. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > I usually worn black gloves. Sunny > never reacted in the least to the gloves. That is until, one day I > happened to come in carrying some brown gloves. Sunny FREAKED and went > into a full blown panic. After a couple such episodes I learned that > she was deathly afraid of brown gloves, and would panic if she could > see them. How odd! I wonder why brown scared her when black didn't? Maybe they looked like a predator bird (or other animal)? Joyce > > I usually worn black gloves. Sunny > > never reacted in the least to the gloves. That is until, one day I [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >How odd! I wonder why brown scared her when black didn't? Maybe they >looked like a predator bird (or other animal)? I've always thought that her previous owner used to wear brown gloves when they went to pick her up, and squeezed her too tight when trying to train. Believe it or not, I've read that this was once an accepted training method - though of course not squeezing so that that you break a bird's wing. According to what I read, to train a bird to accept being picked up while in a cage you would reach in, wearing gloves, and grab the bird. You were supposed to give it a little squeeze to make it uncomfortable if it bit - duh, naturally it would bite - then relax the hold until it stopped struggling, but giving it another squeeze if it bit again. Once the struggling stopped, immediately release the bird and praise it and give it a treat. Always struck me as an extremely stupid and unproductive way of training a bird, since what you'd be doing was inviting a natural behaivor, and then punishing the bird for that behaivor. Supposedly, using this method you would teach the bird not to bite, and make the bird easier to handle when you had to hold it still - like when trimming the flight feathers or talons. Anyway, the article I read telling about this method was saying that the method had been used in the past with limited success. I just found myself wondering about the "limited success", since it seems to be that it would be a total failure and just teach the bird to hate being handled, unless they counted scared stiff as a success. So, anyway, going back to Sunny. This is the only explanation I ever came up with that made any sort sense when I started trying to understand her terror. The part I find amazing is that she recognizes gloves, even when they're not being worn, and is only afraid of brown gloves, even when not worn. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > So, anyway, going back to Sunny. This is the only explanation I ever > came up with that made any sort sense when I started trying to > understand her terror. The part I find amazing is that she recognizes > gloves, even when they're not being worn, and is only afraid of brown > gloves, even when not worn. So glad Sunny found you. She must think she's in heaven now, with such and understanding human. :o) SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki >> So, anyway, going back to Sunny. This is the only explanation I ever >> came up with that made any sort sense when I started trying to [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >So glad Sunny found you. She must think she's in heaven now, with such >and understanding human. :o) Well, except for the cats LOL Actually, though, LB and Rocky ignore the birds now. They learned quickly that paying too much attention earned them a spritz from the water bottle. Not that I ever let the birds out unless the cats are safely locked out - especially since I know Rocky is quite the birder. Sammy is another case, since she grew up with the birds. She still watches intently when they flap their wings in the cage, but I don't think she things of them as prey. She does know that birds can bite, as a kitten she would stand on the recliner and rest her paws on the cage, and Sunny would rush over and bite her toes. Sometimes Sammy still climbs up on top of the cage to try to nap. Sunny doesn't appreciate that at all, and will sometimes bite her toes and reach up and out tufts of fur when laying lays down. I'd guess about 50% of the time Sam gives up and hops down. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html > I had my computer into the computer shop to fix my printer and when I > got it home the mouse wouldn't work. I tried everything, [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Bev Grant went through a "chewing on cords" phase. I had duct tape and electronic tape everywhere. Taped every cord I could find to the floor. I was very pleased when he grew out of it. < Grant went through a "chewing on cords" phase. I had duct tape and electronic tape everywhere. Taped every cord I could find to the floor. I was very pleased when he grew out of it. > I have heard of using light springs (the screen door type) over the wires. It takes a bit of time to 'wind' them over the wire, but it is worth it. I have also heard of people enclosing the wires in small plastic pipe. Anything to prevent the dreaded wire chewing! Patti Mishi had something important to tell us on Tue, 28 Sep 2004 03:46:26 GMT: >< Grant went through a "chewing on cords" phase. I had duct tape and >electronic tape everywhere. Taped every cord I could find to the floor. I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >have also heard of people enclosing the wires in small plastic pipe. >Anything to prevent the dreaded wire chewing! Or you could invest in a cordless mouse and keyboard... otherwise putting something bitter on the wires might help to put the kitties off chewing them. SignatureKaren AKA Kajikit Here kitty kitty kitty... visit http://www.catslaves.org! Come and visit my part of the web: Kajikit's Corner: http://www.kajikitscorner.com Allergyfree Eating Recipe Swap: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Allergyfree_Eating Ample Aussies Mailing List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ampleaussies/ > I had my computer into the computer shop to fix my printer and when I > got it home the mouse wouldn't work. I tried everything, [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Bev Reminds me of a story I wrote long, long ago about our Rascal(RB) and the computer. Had a printer, monitor, modem, power cords, mouse. All run down behind the table to the processor unit sitting on the floor. One day the mouse worked just fine up and down, but not at all from side to side. Investigation showed that the mouse cord had been surreptitiously chewed. Power cords, printer cable, monitor cable, etc. all fine. Mouse cord toast. Got a replacement mouse. Closed cat out of computer room. Now mouse works in both axes. Do my stuff on the computer. Finish up and leave the computer room, closing the door securely behind me. Next evening, go back to computer room and close the door. Wife calls me for something - don't remember what. Pulled the computer room door closed. Go do what DW wants (always a wise plan) and go back to the computer room. Uh-oh. Door is open about a cat width. Check for cat in computer room - not there. Phew! Sit down at the computer and try to open up a program. Huh? Now the mouse works side to side but not up and down. Da*n! Check the cord. Sure enough - teeth marks. On *only* the mouse cord. Blasted cat! Next day, stop at the hardware store and get 4 feet of armored electrical cable. The stuff in a flexible metal sheath. Come home with it and notice that I forgot another replacement mouse. Da*n! and double Da*n! No computer tonight. Next night, stop at the computer store *again*. The helpful kid behind the counter recognizes me and wonders what could be wrong with my computer breaking mice like that. Don't ask. Come home, remove the electrical wire from the armored cable sheath, fiddle with the mouse cord and connector until the connector comes out the other end, connect it to the computer. Mouse works! Yippee! Called the cat into the computer room. He heads under the desk then comes back out with a dirty look on his face. I just smiled, put him out in the hall and carried on. He never chewed another cord/cable on my computer. Natural hunter instinct? Sam > Reminds me of a story I wrote long, long ago about our Rascal(RB) and the > computer. Had a printer, monitor, modem, power cords, mouse. All run down [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > He never chewed another cord/cable on my computer. Natural hunter instinct? LOL! What a smart cat, to know which was the *mousie* cord! SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > > I had my computer into the computer shop to fix my printer and when I > > got it home the mouse wouldn't work. I tried everything, [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > > Sam Sam, What a delightful er expensive story. I think I know why they like the mouse cord, mine anyway is thinner than the other cords and therefore easier to chew. They ate the very thin microphone cord ages ago and I haven't replaced it. I think this happened while we were away, (while the head cat's away the er cats will play). They put it across housesitter Kay in all sorts of ways! Bev SignatureThe email of the species is more deadly than the mail.
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