Sunday, November 22, 2009

God Made Him Cute and Lovable so I Wouldn't Kill Him


He's a real cutie, huh?  He's the reason I haven't had a Christmas tree for the last couple of years.  This is why:



We didn't put him in here.  He jumped in himself:


His latest trick is to paw my television screen.  He doesn't put his claws out so he doesn't do any damage, but he does leave smudges.  I tell him no and put him in another room.  It doesn't make him stop.  I thought maybe he was trying to get my attention to tell me he needed food or water.  That does seem to be true sometimes, but it's not always the reason.  He may need something else and he knows that gets my attention but I can't figure out what it is.  I would prefer he find a different method of communicating.

I've tried the watergun method, but he just thinks it's a fun new game.  He stalks the watergun.  He waits until he thinks you're not paying attention and attacks the gun.  He enjoys it!  Retreats briefly when he's sprayed, then comes back for more. 

This is the sme crazy cat that sometimes jumps in the shower and once jumped in the washing machine as it was filling with water.  He didn't panic, just sat in the washer looking at me.  When the water started to get too deep for his comfort, he calmly climbed out.

I don't know what else to try.  Sticky tape, you say?  Tried that when the other one was scratching the couch.  Worked for her.  He pulled it off and played with it.  Foil?  Doesn't bother him a bit.  He'll take the foil off of something on the counter and eat it.  We can't leave any food out, covered or not. 

No, I'm not going to get rid of my cat.  I would like to break him of this habit, though.

12 comments:

LL Cool Joe said...

Ha ha the joys of owning a cat. We had 2 burmese cats and they were naughty all the time. One of ours used to eat the tinsel off the Christmas tree. The joy of removing it from her butt later on was not pleasant.

In have no answers I'm afraid!

Jen said...

At least he gives you great blogging material and hopefully keeps you laughing.

sage said...

I haven't had a cat in a decade--but mine did turn over my christmas tree once (I also had drunken house guest do this one time, decades ago, a story I should write about sometime!) The dog, well, he's been known to take off a few ornaments with his wagging tail

Jen said...

@LL Cool Joe: Tinsel is annoying, anyway. You have to put it on the tree one piece at a time and then removing it is even less fun - from the tree or the cat.

@Jen: He does keep us laughing. Everyone who meets him wants to take him home. He's a great cat.

@sage: This one thinks we put the tree up just for him. He would probably strip it of every ornament if we let him.

Ryan said...

i dont have a cat but have 2 dogs and ones a jack russel that total drive me crazy sometimes but always seems to know when im not feeling well. oh the christmas tree last year she totally brought it down a few times!

Jen said...

@Ryan: I love Jack Russel's! Little balls of energy! I wish I had the time to take care of one now. They need a lot of attention.

Rebecca S. said...

I think I love your cat - sounds like a real character. I used to have a cat that was a bit nuts, too, but I think we loved him all the more for it.
Instead of a tree, could you decorate a swag of evergreens with lights and ornaments and hang it above a window out of harm's way?

kathryn said...

OhMyGod! I know it's not funny to YOU, but it's freakin' hilarious to us!

Fabulous post, honey! I've got 1 dog and know nothing about dogs, much less cats. Isn't there a "cat whisperer" or something on
Animal Planet? Or is that "ghost whisperer"....

(oops. my bad.)

Jen said...

@Rebecca S.: He would climb the walls trying to get at them. He'd find a way. Maybe some indoor / outdoor lights on a tree that can go outside on the patio?

@Kathryn: There is a Dog Whisperer on one of the cable channels. I think I like the woman from It's Me or the Dog better.

SquirrelQueen said...

Having been owned by several cats over the years I feel your frustration. He is adorable, but he's got 'bad boy' eyes.

He is trying to train you when it should be the other way around (my cat, Miss Cindi Lou Who, has me well trained). Try rewarding good behavior, petting and treats whatever, and ignoring the crazy stuff. Cats will repeat what gets them attention. Good luck.

So you also like to photograph bees and I see you like sci-fi, cool. Thanks for visiting my blog, hope to see you again.

SQ

Jen said...

@SquirrelQueen: He is training me. It's because he's so smart. The dumb one doesn't give me any trouble.

I like to try to photograph bees. I haven't had much success yet. You are welcome and I'm sure I will be back. Thank you for the return visit and comment.

Rebecca S. said...

Good idea about the tree outside the patio door - you'd probably still have a lot of paw prints on the glass!

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