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Cat Forum / General Topics / February 2005Well, *that* didn't work
I have a problem ... named Mickey - my neighbor's cat and the neighborhood champion mouser. He has decided he would rather live with me. (I've written about this before.) I'm trying to convince him to stay out of the house proper. Like any cat, he's allowed in the mud room where the food and water are, but inside, he's a problem since he wants to take over the alpha position. A recent confrontation with the current alpha cost me two trips to the doctor and eighteen days on antibiotics. I tried fixing him a heated box outside, but he still prefers inside. I thought he was OK with staying in the mud room on a padded shelf, but that works only when it isn't too cold - I get up in the morning to find him on the shelf under the kitchen window or in the computer room. Last night, I tried bring the bed heater in and putting it in the shelf padding in the mud room. Not only did he not like it (cats are supposed to he heat seeking missiles, but he didn't like the warm place) but Ozy too it over ... Mickey was in the computer room this morning. This evening, I discover *another* down side to moving the heater: I destroyed the refuge that the black and white feral had been using. He was outside this evening acting distressed. Well, the heater is back outside, and it's back to square one. Mickey has been in as far as the living room several times already this evening - each time I notice him, I tell him to leave (and he does).  SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) | Well, the heater is back outside, and it's back to square one. Mickey | has been in as far as the living room several times already this | evening - each time I notice him, I tell him to leave (and he does). Ted I feel with you, but I'm lost here too. Mickey has a very strong personality. And you have to leave the way intro the house open for your cats. We had a strange cat come in a few times, but Minka gave her hell. What I did I threw a light hollow chain at the cat whenever I saw it, this didn't hurt her but made a scary noise. I've learned this in the dog school. But Mickey knows that he's not welcome, and he knows when you're at sleep ;-) You could tell the neighbour to find a solution, this would be correct, but probably does not fit into your situation? Carola >| Well, the heater is back outside, and it's back to square one. Mickey >| has been in as far as the living room several times already this [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >You could tell the neighbour to find a solution, this would be correct, but >probably does not fit into your situation? The neighbors are the kind of cat people who would try to remove a big mat with a razor blade, and who treats broken legs with a duck tape splint (the cat recovered). Mickey is supposed to be the primary outdoor mouser only occasionally allowed inside for a bit of petting. He finds my home, even with my displeasure, and the hostility of several of my cats, preferable to how he was living. He is terrrified of brooms (my cats aren't), which may mean something. BTW, he spent the night behind the TV; the feral was in the outdoor box this morning. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. >He is terrrified >of brooms (my cats aren't), which may mean something. Yeah it may mean he was beaten with a broom by a previous owner. (the next door neighbor who is trying to throw the cat out?) When you talk to lawyers about cat laws one of the first problems to surface is that often a cat will several owners. The owners may not even be aware of the other owners. Maybe your next door neighbors are trying to tell the cat it's not wanted. >>He is terrrified >>of brooms (my cats aren't), which may mean something. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Maybe your next door neighbors are trying to tell the cat it's not >wanted. Someone who raises cattle not wanting the best mouser in the neighborhood (even if he doesn't spend much time mousing for them)? I need to talk to them, though I really don't like to. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) >Like any cat, he's allowed in the >mud room where the food and water are, but inside, he's a problem >since he wants to take over the alpha position. A recent >confrontation with the current alpha cost me two trips to the doctor >and eighteen days on antibiotics. Cats after all are territorial. >I tried fixing him a heated box outside, but he still prefers inside. Maybe desperate for human companionship? >I thought he was OK with staying in the mud room on a padded shelf, >but that works only when it isn't too cold - I get up in the morning >to find him on the shelf under the kitchen window or in the computer >room. BTW, how cold is it on these cold days? I noticed from your email that you are at UMR (University of Missourri). Around here in when it gets bitter cold they will advise you to bring your pets in frigid days. (Below zero) >Last night, I tried bring the bed heater in and putting it in the >shelf padding in the mud room. Not only did he not like it (cats are [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >heater: I destroyed the refuge that the black and white feral had been >using. He was outside this evening acting distressed. Maybe the cat wants to be near YOU. >Well, the heater is back outside, and it's back to square one. Mickey >has been in as far as the living room several times already this >evening - each time I notice him, I tell him to leave (and he does). Maybe the cat has decided to adopt you? >>Like any cat, he's allowed in the >>mud room where the food and water are, but inside, he's a problem >>since he wants to take over the alpha position. A recent >>confrontation with the current alpha cost me two trips to the doctor >>and eighteen days on antibiotics. >Cats after all are territorial. Mickey's range included my property when I moved here, but I think his territory was just around his house since he never challenged my cats ... until he decided to move in. >>I tried fixing him a heated box outside, but he still prefers inside. >Maybe desperate for human companionship? I don't know - he doesn't often ask for attention, but he likes to be petted and combed. >>I thought he was OK with staying in the mud room on a padded shelf, >>but that works only when it isn't too cold - I get up in the morning >>to find him on the shelf under the kitchen window or in the computer >>room. >BTW, how cold is it on these cold days? I noticed from your email >that you are at UMR (University of Missourri). University of Missouri - Rolla ... in south-central Missouri in the foothills of the Ozarks. The lowest temperature stored on my wireless outdoor thermometer is about +5 F - I last cleared it around the first of the year. An additional note is that I just took a tick off Mickey - that's live and active ticks for twelve consecutive months on some cat or other. >Around here in when it gets bitter cold they will advise you >to bring your pets in frigid days. (Below zero) Not an issue - the cats come and go as they please, and some of them go hunting in single digit and teens (F) temperatures, but not for long. >>Last night, I tried bring the bed heater in and putting it in the >>shelf padding in the mud room. Not only did he not like it (cats are [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >>using. He was outside this evening acting distressed. >Maybe the cat wants to be near YOU. He - or she - runs away, but less far and less fast than several months ago. >>Well, the heater is back outside, and it's back to square one. Mickey >>has been in as far as the living room several times already this >>evening - each time I notice him, I tell him to leave (and he does). >Maybe the cat has decided to adopt you? I'll offer it a home if it is willing to accept me. Since it just showed up several months ago, I think it may be a dump. It eats here now, at least sometimes. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) >I have a problem ... named Mickey - my neighbor's cat and the >neighborhood champion mouser. He has decided he would rather live [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >to find him on the shelf under the kitchen window or in the computer >room. WTF is a "mud room"? I'm picturing your house as some sort of hut one might encounter in Africa or something >Last night, I tried bring the bed heater in and putting it in the >shelf padding in the mud room. Not only did he not like it (cats are [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >has been in as far as the living room several times already this >evening - each time I notice him, I tell him to leave (and he does). >WTF is a "mud room"? It's basically a room off the main entrance where people take off their snow covered boots, snow covered coat, snow covered hat, snow coverd gloves, etc. Once you remove the snow covered/ice covered/rain covered/mud covered clothes you can enter the house without tracking mud all over the house. Around here they are very common and NOT IN mud huts, grass huts, etc. Some of the most expensive houses around here have them. >I'm picturing your house as some sort of hut one might encounter in >Africa or something You'd be wrong. >WTF is a "mud room"? > >I'm picturing your house as some sort of hut one might encounter in >Africa or something Picture a home in the middle of a large field, with lots and lots of muddy ground. Picture having to wear high rubber boots to take the trash out or do anything else outside. A mud room is the place where the boots are kept, put on, and taken off. Normally they are between the kitchen and the outside, often an add-on. There are also usually coat hooks and other accessories needed for transforming between indoor and outdoor clothing, especially when the outdoors is likely to be messy. They originated on farm houses with neat-freak farm wives. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:02:31 -0600, Ted Davis <tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu> >>WTF is a "mud room"? >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >indoor and outdoor clothing, especially when the outdoors is likely to >be messy. They originated on farm houses with neat-freak farm wives. Thanks for clearing that up - I too was wondering what a mud room was. Where I'm from, we just left stuff outside if it was too messy to come into the house with, but I guess if you live in a frigid climate I can see why you'd want to come inside first. (I was in Cleveland a couple weeks ago when that huge snowstorm hit). I don't understand why people live where it gets that cold - Not that I want any more of you Yankees (or Canucks) to move down here (we've got too many already, thank you very much), but it's real nice - the sun shines, it's warm, you don't have to wear layers and layers of clothing, and everything doesn't die during the "winter" months. We must be getting a cold front here, because the high Saturday is only 64 with a low of 44. I guess that means I can't put my ski jacket away just yet. ;-) >I don't understand why people live where it gets that cold I live in New England where it often gets below zero, where we get lots of snow. I thought of moving until I considered where would I move. Florida? Nope. Hurricane alley doesn't sound appealing. Tenneesse? Nope. Tornado alley instead. California? Mudslides. Grass fires. Droughts. Seattle? Rain 24/7/365. So I came to conclusion i'll stay here. BTW, even though it is below zero on some winter days it is considerably warmer than Minnesota, Wisconsin, and that area. That -2 we had last week, it would be -40 in Minnesota. >We must be getting a cold front here, because the high Saturday is only >64 with a low of 44. I guess that means I can't put my ski jacket away >just yet. ;-) It may warm up early next week at which point out high temperature *****MAY****** reach 44. Right now it won't get above freezing. >Thanks for clearing that up - I too was wondering what a mud room was. >Where I'm from, we just left stuff outside if it was too messy to come [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >64 with a low of 44. I guess that means I can't put my ski jacket away >just yet. ;-) I'm *from* north-east South Carolina. I own property there, but I won't ever go back. It's only a little hotter here in the summer, and only a little colder in the winter ... and I own more property here ... and make far more money than I could there. (Actually, I grew up in the Sandhills, but not many people who live there will admit it.) T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. | >WTF is a "mud room"? | > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] | indoor and outdoor clothing, especially when the outdoors is likely to | be messy. They originated on farm houses with neat-freak farm wives. It was funny to picture you and your thirteen or so cats living in a mud hut LOL And then with a "next" door neighbour like in a semi or terraced house :-) Well, my suggestion is that you and/or your neighbour find a new home for Mickey. He seems to be a good cat looking for company. How old would he be? The easiest would be another farm far enough away or one of your contacts like the lady who took your other cat (was it Sebo?). I'm sure you have a pic or two of your farm which you could let us see, thanx. Carola >It was funny to picture you and your thirteen or so cats living in a mud hut >LOL More of a remodeled trailer - the core is a 1972 double-wide. >And then with a "next" door neighbour like in a semi or terraced house :-) Our front doors are at least 500 feet apart, and that's really close for that area. >Well, my suggestion is that you and/or your neighbour find a new home for >Mickey. I think he has maid his choice, and is succeding in out-stubborning me. >He seems to be a good cat looking for company. How old would he be? I think he's about ten. Maybe nine. >The easiest would be another farm far enough away or one of your contacts >like the lady who took your other cat (was it Sebo?). I don't think he would be happy anywhere else - he's spent his life so far hunting the property I now own. >I'm sure you have a pic or two of your farm which you could let us see, >thanx. Not a farm - at the most, it could be (and has been) used for a horse or two. It's too hilly for anything but pasture and forest. Pictures? Let me see .... aerial photograph: <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/home.html> It is hard to see (it may not even be there in this old photo), but my north fence continues from the obvious corner of the yard straight over into the stock pond on the north-east corner (the pond is shared by three properties). some ground level photos off: <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/ways.home/ways.home.html> which is about getting there. more in the "A Trip to the Pond" photo essay: <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/020330/index.html> - the home and pump house have been extensively remodeled (new roof, new siding, new windows, new patio awning), and the "Cats Stalking Deer" essay: <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/041017/Cats_Stalking_Deer.html>. and others in random pictures in <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/020604/> and <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/misc.pictures/>, especially the rain/ directory, and xmas.tree.html and 021224/ (the latter involving a foot of snow). I don't have any post-remodeling pictures of the central building compound, and ordinarily I would just post a URL with a not to come back in 24 hours or so, then take and post some pictures, but my boss borrowed my digital camera and most of my accessories for a fund-raiser this weekend (photos for sale) - all I have left are a couple of tripods, and one 35mm SLR film camera and its lenses. BTW, there's a three-year old picture of Mickey at <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/020107/big.boy.water.1.600x400.jpg> - taken before I learned his name or where he lived (and before I had the kitchen floor replaced). You *did* have to pull my photograph chain didn't you? The above are most of what I have on-line. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. Love the pictures. What a great looking cat family! > >It was funny to picture you and your thirteen or so cats living in a mud hut > >LOL [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > > BTW, there's a three-year old picture of Mickey at <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/020107/big.boy.water.1.600x400.jpg> > - taken before I learned his name or where he lived (and before I had > the kitchen floor replaced). [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." > somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. | Pictures? Let me see .... | aerial photograph: <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/home.html> It [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] | | BTW, there's a three-year old picture of Mickey at <http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/020107/big.boy.water.1.600x400.jpg> | - taken before I learned his name or where he lived (and before I had | the kitchen floor replaced). | | You *did* have to pull my photograph chain didn't you? The above are | most of what I have on-line. :-) I just love "A trip to the pond"! It looks rather remote where you live, but very beautiful too. How far away is the next bigger place/village/town? Do you have to travel far to work every day? Carola >I just love "A trip to the pond"! Thank you - I really enjoyed doin it and shooting it. >It looks rather remote where you live, but very beautiful too. >How far away is the next bigger place/village/town? > >Do you have to travel far to work every day? When I went searching for a place in the country, I was interest in remoteness in terms of time - less than half an hour to/from work. As it turned out, this place is about seven miles from the nearest town (St. James), but is ten miles from the nearest strip mall in Rolla and about twelve from work - the commute to/from work usually runs about twenty-two minutes. The first/last two miles are on the country road and are just perfect for warming up the truck going out and cooling me down on the way home, though during certain times of the year I have to be extra alert for deer crossing the road ... the main road too: I saw a herd of about nine a couple of days ago - the last two were crossing when I came over the hill and could see them. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) >>WTF is a "mud room"? >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > indoor and outdoor clothing, especially when the outdoors is likely to > be messy. They originated on farm houses with neat-freak farm wives. I wouldn't say neat-freak farm wives. I'd say any smart person who doesn't want cow,pig, horse, sheep nc chicken sh!t all over the house. |
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