The curious story of Mickey

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Ted Davis - 12 Apr 2005 15:27 GMT

Mickey is one my my nearest neighbor's cats - he's about 13 years old,
and the neighborhood champion mouser ... or he used to be. I have
eleven, most of whom don't particularly like Mickey; two of whom get
in fights with him from time to time.

Last fall, Mickey moved in with me and my cats. He looked and acted
older than his years: his coat was dull and he didn't walk very well.
I thought it was like the other times: the grandchildren were visiting
at his home, but six months later, there are no grandchildren - never
were, and he is still living with me and my often hostile cats. At
his own home, he is the alpha cat. However, he is now walking well;
his coat is shiny; and he looks more his age. Recent informal
portrait:
<http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/2005/mickey_classic.jpg>

What's different about my place?
Shelter: 24/7 catflap vs. 24/7 barn + indoor on demand
food: cheap Special Kitty dry vs. Meow Mix
treats: half&half (milk/cream) vs. unknown or none
petting: some vs. on demand
flea control: Frontline vs mostly nothing (if he drops by when I'm
pasing out Frontline, I give him a dose too, so even when he wasn't
living with me, he was still getting the good stuff almost often
enough)
attitude: not wanted vs. loved and much wanted

It should be mentioned that of the 12 cats at my house, he is the only
one who begs, in a subdued feline way, for half&half - if a couple of
days go by without any, he hangs around the place where I put the
bowl, comes to me and walks back to the bowl place, meows at the bowl
place, etc.

If anyone has any suggestions for getting him to go home and stay
there, both I and his humans would gladly consider them. We would
like to bring the curious case of Mickey to closure in a way that
satisfies everybody. I'm beginning to think it might be a nutritional
issue.

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CatNipped - 12 Apr 2005 15:55 GMT

> Mickey is one my my nearest neighbor's cats - he's about 13 years old,
> and the neighborhood champion mouser ... or he used to be. I have
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
> satisfies everybody. I'm beginning to think it might be a nutritional
> issue.

We have a neighbor's cat who eats only what I put out for the ferals and
strays (Science Diet dry and canned) because she likes that better than what
her own people feed her. We really don't talk much to the neighbors (DH and
I are pretty much shy computer geeks who don't get out much), so I don't
know her name - we call her "Socks". Here's a picture of "Socks" looking in
at my indoor only kitties:
http://www.possibleplaces.com/catnipped/Four_Sisters/.

I Mickey decides that he likes it better at your house, then I don't think
you're going to change his mind! ;>

Hugs,

CatNipped

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Ted Davis - 13 Apr 2005 01:05 GMT

>We have a neighbor's cat who eats only what I put out for the ferals and
>strays (Science Diet dry and canned) because she likes that better than what
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>I Mickey decides that he likes it better at your house, then I don't think
>you're going to change his mind! ;>

He's already out stubborned me. Initially, he was living in the
house, but after an event in which his presence caused me to be badly
bitten by my alpha cat, I started chasing him out ... and he kept
coming back. Then I decided to compromise with him: I fixed him up
with a padded shelf in the mud room - not as warm as the house, but
weather proof and far above freezing. He stayed there for a couple of
months, then decided he really wanted to come inside. Now he uses the
shelf as his watch tower (my mud room is one of the very few with a
picture window), sleeps indoors, and sometimes even sleeps partially
on top of me in the bed. He's also taken to jumping into my lap when
I'm at the computer - not too often, but that's too much like the
situation in which Fleagor bit me for me to be comfortable with it.

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Enfilade - 13 Apr 2005 03:20 GMT

> > It should be mentioned that of the 12 cats at my house, he is the only
> > one who begs, in a subdued feline way, for half&half - if a couple of
> > days go by without any, he hangs around the place where I put the
> > bowl, comes to me and walks back to the bowl place, meows at the bowl
> > place, etc.

Maybe you could get Mickey's people to feed him the way you feed him.
It seems as though he is healthier and feels better when he is in your
house, so that's where he wants to stay. If his people fed him the
way you feed him, and showered him with attention, maybe he would want
to go home again.
--Fil

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Ted Davis - 13 Apr 2005 14:54 GMT

>> > It should be mentioned that of the 12 cats at my house, he is the only
>> > one who begs, in a subdued feline way, for half&half - if a couple of
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>way you feed him, and showered him with attention, maybe he would want
>to go home again.

I've been thinging along those lines: put him in the carrier and take
him hime, along with a bag of Special Kitty and what's left of a
carton of half and half - then ask Linda to keep him confined for a
few days while feeding him from that stash. I'll discuss it with her
the next time I'm over there.

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