 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / December 2004What was she trying to tell me?
Harri and I spent the last half of Saturday and all of Sunday morning sitting at a truckstop outside of Phoenix waiting to pick up a load for El Paso. We picked it up yesterday and delivered this morning. When we were done we headed for the truck stop in Anthony, TX. It had been raining and blowing all day, so when it partially cleared just after noon I decided we ought to get in our kitten walk. There's a big expanse of open desert right next to the truck stop, so that's where we went. When we do our kitty walks from a truck stop, Harri is initially tense and anxious. She doesn't like being near other people's trucks, and she REALLY doesn't like being near other people, so I always cary here until we're clear of the truck stop and out in the open. Today when I put her down she remained tense, and did that low-to-the-ground high-speed slink that kitties do when they want to get away from something. I helped by following close behind and lifting her over gullies to big for her to jump, and once we got a couple hundred yards away she was calmed down and enjoying herself again. We stayed out till the wind came up and the dark clouds started blowing over - about an hour. I told her we needed to start heading back, and she dutifully adjusted course to head back (have I mentioned what an absolutely wonderfully behaved kitten she is, and how well she understands English?). Everything went great until we got within a couple hundred yards of the truck stop again. All of a sudden it was low-to-the-ground slink time again. She was obviously terrified of something at the truck stop. But our only way out of here is my truck, parked at the truck stop. So I picked her up, put her inside my coat, held her trembling little body close, and walked as quickly back to the truck as I could. Once we got into the truck she was fine again. In fact, she's now sound asleep on the passenger's seat. I'm trying to figure out what had her so terrified. Was it something at the truck stop? Something about the derelict barbeque restaurant next door? I sure would like to know, because she was one scared kitty. I know one truck stop we won't be kitty walking from again! > Harri and I spent the last half of Saturday and all of Sunday morning > sitting at a truckstop outside of Phoenix waiting to pick up a load for [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > I know one truck stop we won't be kitty walking from again! Might be worth asking other truckers in that area if there have been problems at that stop. Maybe she's picking up "bad vibes" or something. - Denise Brennasmeowmy > Might be worth asking other truckers in that area if there have been > problems at that stop. Maybe she's picking up "bad vibes" or something. > > - Denise Brennasmeowmy That's a good idea. I'll find other drivers with pets and ask if their pets have picked up on anything, and I'll check the history of this truck stop and the BBQ as well. > I'm trying to figure out what had her so terrified. Was it something at the > truck stop? Something about the derelict barbeque restaurant next door? I > sure would like to know, because she was one scared kitty. How is she around dogs? Maybe another driver had a dog nearby ...  Signaturemonique, caretaker of Oscar > How is she around dogs? Maybe another driver had a dog nearby ... She likes dogs about as much as she likes people. Which is to say, not at all. I've seen her behavior when dog turned up close by while we were walking, and it wasn't at that time nearly as extreme as her reaction today. >> How is she around dogs? Maybe another driver had a dog nearby ... > >She likes dogs about as much as she likes people. Which is to say, not >at all. I've seen her behavior when dog turned up close by while we >were walking, and it wasn't at that time nearly as extreme as her >reaction today. Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a "litter box" by dogs for many years and she didn't want to have anything to do with it? Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com > Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a "litter > box" by dogs for many years and she didn't want to have anything to do > with it? That is indeed a possibility. As is the fact that while walking there I saw the largest dog or wolf print I've ever seen - it was about as big across as a horse's hoofprint. >> Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a "litter box" >> by dogs for many years and she didn't want to have anything to do with it? > > That is indeed a possibility. As is the fact that while walking there I saw > the largest dog or wolf print I've ever seen - it was about as big across as > a horse's hoofprint. Friend of mine was recently telling me about a dog his family had. Part husky, part timber wolf. Something like 230 pounds in his prime. My gawd, that's a big dog! Signaturemonique, caretaker of Oscar >>> Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a "litter >>> box" [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > gawd, > that's a big dog! EEEK. That's nearly twice as heavy as me.<hides> Are you sure this dog was about 18 stone? Surely not. Huskies can be quite big, and so can timber wolves. Maybe 56lbs each. That's plenty big enough. I find it it hard to believe that a husky/wolf cross could weigh 230 pounds. I think your friend was teasing you. Tweed >> Friend of mine was recently telling me about a dog his family had. Part >> husky, part timber wolf. Something like 230 pounds in his prime. My gawd, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > believe that a husky/wolf cross could weigh 230 pounds. I think your friend > was teasing you. I'm pretty sure he wasn't teasing, though he might have been mistaken. I've certainly met dogs well over 100 pounds. He said that timber wolves can be over 200. Maybe he has a different variety near him in the Canadian wilds than you have, or maybe he was mistaken about the type of wolf? I asked him for pictures, but he said he'll have to go searching, as they haven't been scanned. 230 will never be twice as big as me, that's for sure! Hrm. According to google, it's actually closer to 16.4 stone. I never understood the stone measurement, though. It seems mightily imprecise. I guess that would be handy after holiday binging, though ... I just re-read my IRC logs, and he actually said 280. Well, there are 300-400 pound humans running around as football players and whatnot, so I suppose anything's possible ... Signaturemonique, caretaker of Oscar >>> Friend of mine was recently telling me about a dog his family had. Part >>> husky, part timber wolf. Something like 230 pounds in his prime. My [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > I'm pretty sure he wasn't teasing, though he might have been mistaken. I think so. > I've certainly met dogs well over 100 pounds. Big male Rottweillers can exceed that weight by miles, Male German Shepherd can. He said that timber wolves can > be over 200. Maybe he has a different variety near him in the Canadian > wilds > than you have, or maybe he was mistaken about the type of wolf? > > I asked him for pictures, but he said he'll have to go searching, as they > haven't been scanned. I can't believe any wolf could weigh 200 lbs, nearly twice as much as me? No way. > Hrm. According to google, it's actually closer to 16.4 stone. I was only guessing. I never understood the stone measurement, though. It seems mightily imprecise. I > guess that would be handy after holiday binging, though ... !4lbs = 1 stone. Tweed > I never understood the stone measurement, though. It seems mightily > imprecise. I >> guess that would be handy after holiday binging, though ... > > !4lbs = 1 stone. Yeah, I get that it is exact as it goes. But say that someone's 18 stone, or whatever, and that has a potential span of 14 pounds. In other words, it's accurate within about 1.5 cats. For some things, that's plenty accurate. For others, like weighing humans and cats, it seems a bit too coarse a granularity. Maybe this is just my cultural bias. Signaturemonique, caretaker of Oscar >> I never understood the stone measurement, though. It seems mightily >> imprecise. I [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Maybe this is just my cultural bias. Weight in Britain is usually expressed as stones and pounds. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. > Weight in Britain is usually expressed as stones and pounds. Okay. I'd never seen stone used that way (in combo with pounds). That makes perfect sense, doesn't it? I don't know why that didn't occur to me. Signaturemonique, who is sometimes allowed to pet Oscar, a grey DLH with an attitude! >> Weight in Britain is usually expressed as stones and pounds. > > Okay. I'd never seen stone used that way (in combo with pounds). That > makes > perfect sense, doesn't it? I don't know why that didn't occur to me. For example: I weigh 9 stone 12 lbs. Once I get to 9 stone 14lbs I weigh 10 stone. Easy, eh? ;-) I can't visualise pounds more than a hundredweight (cwt) 112lbs. That's 8 stone. Sometimes wheat is sold in this quantity, and I can't lift it. I cannot imagine what people look like if they say they weigh 200lbs, or 300lbs. I can only understand and completely be able to *look* at them in my mind if they tell me in stones and pounds. International greetings from Great Britain (or the U.K. as I prefer to call it) Where imperial measure still rocks. Tweed d.. > For example: I weigh 9 stone 12 lbs. Once I get to 9 stone 14lbs I weigh > 10 stone. Easy, eh? ;-) I can't visualise pounds more than a hundredweight [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > International greetings from Great Britain (or the U.K. as I prefer to call > it) Where imperial measure still rocks. It all makes sense. I guess I've only ever heard people speaking of X stone, or X and a half stone, but then, I would say 110 or 115 lb if casually talking about something that weighed 112, wouldn't I? I remember taking a ski lesson once in Park City, Utah. One of the guys was I believe Scottish. We were talking about proper skis and bindings, and boy, was the instructor thrown for a loop when he asked the guy how much he weighed, and the guy answered in stone! Signaturemonique, who is sometimes allowed to pet Oscar, a grey DLH with an attitude! >>> Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a "litter >>> box" [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > gawd, > that's a big dog! That can't be right. 75 pounds would be very large for either breed. I doubt a bull mastiff would go 200 pounds. Jo > >>> Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a > >>> "litter [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > That can't be right. 75 pounds would be very large for either breed. I > doubt a bull mastiff would go 200 pounds. I've known one Doberman that was around 200. Baron was not at all fat. In contrast, and I didn't know her exact weight, I also knew an obese Doberman. She looked like a black cow with a funny muzzle. > In contrast, and I didn't know her exact weight, I also knew an obese > Doberman. She looked like a black cow with a funny muzzle. Great image =) Signaturemonique, caretaker of Oscar >> Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a >> "litter box" by dogs for many years and she didn't want to have [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >there I saw the largest dog or wolf print I've ever seen - it was >about as big across as a horse's hoofprint. That would be enough to spook _me_, let alone a cat. Sounds like someone has pulled a _Jurassic Park_ stunt, reviving Dire Wolves. SignatureJohn F. Eldredge -- john@jfeldredge.com PGP key available from http://pgp.mit.edu "Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all." -- Hypatia of Alexandria >> Maybe it's something as simple as that area had been used as a "litter >> box" by dogs for many years and she didn't want to have anything to do [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > saw the largest dog or wolf print I've ever seen - it was about as big > across as a horse's hoofprint. Another example of military impact, I guess. When we were stationed at El Paso (Ft Bliss, aka Ft Blister) Rob was in charge of guard duty at the airfield one night. He saw the BIGGEST coyote he'd ever seen. He said the darn thing looked like you could throw a saddle over it and ride off into the sunset. How did the beggar get that huge? One theory was that he was living off of left over MREs, scraps, and abandoned animals that the military had left out in the desert. I don't know about that, but I do know that the desert kangaroo rats at Ft Irwin, California were jokingly called ROUS (rodents of unusual size) as in the Princess Bride. Pam S. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.