No privacy

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Peace treaty?

I am not sure this really qualifies. Don has told me that on occasion he has seen this behavior, but this was the first time I actually saw Sakaura that close to Snoopy without any growling or slapping or other reactions. Of course, Snoopy was likely petrified, thus not able to move. Whatever!

I managed to get a picture of Snoopy that did not have the glowing yellow eyes - that is always a problem.



She has the HUGE black pupils that catch the flash every time. The "red eye fix" that most photo editing programs have does nothing for "yellow eye". I had to do some pretty heavy editing on the picture up top to try to get rid of the alien look.

Sakaura, on the other hand, never gets red-eye even. I am not sure why. She has more normal eyes though. I think Snoopy's eyes are damaged by the diabetes. She is not blind, but she definitely has problems seeing.

In the spirit of fairness, here's a picture of Sakaura. She does have pretty green eyes.

Almost Caturday

Another weekend on the way, and we've made little (no?) progress in cat socialization. Don continues to bring Snoopy out to sleep on the sofa.



However, she never comes out on her own and she is usually very relieved when he carries her to her "room". She is like an invalid - if only he could find her a wheelchair, I swear.

Sakaura is most happy to sleep in Snoopy's spot. She has no respect for her or her privacy!

A little research

Today I read a bit about Prozac and found that it may take a week or two before we notice any difference in Snoopy's behavior. So I guess we will stick it out. A friend told me that Prozac was not addictive (Valium is). So we need to give it a chance I guess.

Things are quiet. She is still very fearful but manages to avoid Sakaura. Don said she spent a large amount of her day today under the bed. That makes me sad.

I think I've seen it all

So you can buy your cat a bed so it can sleep next to your keyboard.

Maybe I should suggest this to Don. He says when he is working Sakaura walks all over his desk and keyboard.

Not so sure about that Prozac

We had a major cat fight yesterday. I was downstairs trying to get my laptop to connect to the big backup drive we'd set up on Don's computer, and Snoopy was sleeping on the futon. Sakaura jumped up in her face and started in on her scratching, slapping - much screeching and growling. Poor Snoopy got up and started to run upstairs with Sakaura running after her, same screeching and screaming all the way.

Snoopy hid under the bed totally traumatized. We are feeling that the Prozac is not as effective as the Valium, but will give it a full week before we opt to switch back. She's very wary today - and seems to have given up all the ground she'd gained (walking to the bathroom to eat, going downstairs and upstairs on her own, etc.)

Sakaura is a little meany! And she thrives on Snoopy's fear. How could anything this innocent looking be so bad?

T.G.I.F.

I am not sure cats know that today is Friday, but I certainly do. And a Friday that I took off work. We gave Snoopy her first dose of Prozac today. It's a liquid so I was not sure if she'd notice it in her food or not. Obviously she didn't and she licked her plate clean. I can't really tell if she is behaving much differently. Time will tell I guess. She's in her usual spot - sleeping on the sofa.

Sakaura is sleeping across the room. They are still very wary of each other.

This morning Snoopy's bed was all ruffled up, so there must have been an encounter during the night. At least they were quiet about it. They can fight all they want, but please none of the screeching and yowling!

Prozac

So we are switching from valium to prozac. I am not sure how it will work or if we will switch back to the valium (which seems to do some good). The valium makes her extremely hungry so I want to see if we get a good effect with the prozac with no increase in appetite.

Sakaura, on the other hand, horked up a huge hairball during the night. Ick! She needs to sit and let me brush her really well. She has such long hair and with warmer weather upon us, she will be shedding a lot.

Another exciting day in kitty paradise!

But, aren't these cute?

Of course, they are just adorable. Well that is a stretch, especially when Snoopy is growling. And when Sakaura is climbing up to the top of the screen door. Or when she is refusing to eat her dinner -- after she conned me into a special feeding at breakfast. I swear she is giving me new grey hairs every day! Today she even took over Snoopy's bed. Nothing is sacred here any more LOL.

This has to be the cutest kitten in the world

Unbelievable kitten cuteness and crosses the language barrier!

Just another day in paradise

The cats are tolerating each other. Snoopy is actually moving around the house a bit better - always making sure, of course, that she avoids Sakarua.



We increased her valium to a whole pill twice daily through the weekend in order to see if that helps. The vet called last week to check on her and said we could try Prozac if we wanted and see if it made a bigger difference than the valium. I think we will try the whole valium for a week at least, and then maybe try the Prozac.


While the cats do not "love" each other, things have gotten considerably better with Snoopy as far as her fearfulness goes.

So Snoopy will now go from the bedroom to the bathroom to eat and she will, on her own, go downstairs to the litter box, and come back up and go into the bathroom. Don says that for the past two nights he's found her sitting in the bathroom at 2 or 3 a.m. - waiting for food. The valium really has made her ravenous, but we are trying not to let her overeat. We don't need to be fighting the diabetes again.

Cat status

Snoopy is getting to be a bit more confident. She still does not move freely about the house, but she will now slap Sakaura soundly when Sakaura jumps up hissing in her face.

Sakaura, on the other hand, is getting meaner and more aggressive. She is really a bundle of fear though when caught in the middle of one of her "attacks". So I think she is trying to keep the upper hand.

Sakaura is definitely an Alpha Cat.

This is too cute for words

Pictures

Snoopy's growing some hair back! She'll have hair as long as Sakaura's before we know it.


Sakaura a loves to play. What different animals these two kitties are.

It has been fun pulling all of Rusty and Pepper's toys out. They are all new to Sakaura and she loves them.

Snoopy - just give her some food and leave her alone - that's her happy place.

Sakaura

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14 Pounds!

Snoopy's gained a pound and that is a good thing!
She's started behaving so much like Pepper around her food that I was afraid she had the thyroid condition and would lose weight until she was just a bag of bones.

Today's been relatively peaceful.

We cleaned the Smart Cat Box thoroughly today. I am still amazed at it's effectiveness. We washed the seeds that were in the box, and put back the one's we'd washed another time. It's sort of a chore, but in the long run we have less work to do and much less mess and odor.

It's almost time for the kitty girls to get their dinner - they seem to have internal clocks that very accurately demand food at certain times.

It's not much better

Snoopy is freaking tonight. The vet said we could try increasing her dosage, so I just gave her another half pill.

I am now convinced this will never work, but we will just have to make the best of what we have. I feel bad for both cats. But they have a good life - we feed them well, they have nice warm clean places to live. And they may be happy in spite of the atmosphere that prevails.

Wish I could get inside Snoopy's head.

Peaceful coexistence

Is that possible? For now, there seems to be less screaming and screeching. There are still a lot of low growls and grumbles, when the curious cat tries to approach the old lady.

Snoopy seems more comfortable out in the living area now though. Even though she will not come out into the open on her own, she is able to relax and snooze while Sakaura plays around in the room.

Sakaura is truly a playful little cat. I'd say it was her age, but thinking back, Snoopy was never playful. In fact, as a baby, she acted much like she does now. She's really a disfunctional pet.

NEWS FLASH

Just got an email at work from Don

Right now Sakura and Snoopy are both sleeping in the middle bedroom. Snoopy is in her normal place near the pillows and Sakura is on the chest at the end of the bed! They are both curled up sleeping. No growling.

This is major!

Innocent

Who, me? Pick on Snoopy. Not me, ma!

She just wants to play so badly. And the old lady will have none of it.

We play with this kitty, but I think she really really wants to have some kitty roughhouse fun.

We've made a little progress. At least the blood curdling screams have stopped. Now it's just some low growling, and hissing from time to time.

This cat loves the laser lite. She loves catnip. She's a much more normal cat than her housemate. Snoopy just loves being alone!

Kitty Valium

Well actually it's human valium but being prescribed for the kitty. She gets 1/2 of a 2 mg. pill twice a day. So she just had her third dose.

Already she's a bit more confident. Earlier today she left the bedroom where she's been hiding for weeks and went downstairs to the litter box and her bed on the futon all by herself. Don's been taxiing her around so this was major.

Now she's sleeping on the sofa. She did not come out here on her own, but she did not protest too much when I brought her into the room.

And her arch enemy is within just a few feet. I'm hopeful that this medicine will keep her calm and let her realize that Sakaura is not some wild animal who eats cats for breakfast!

Sleeping Kitties

When they are sleeping they are good cats. Snoopy sleeps on the bed in our guest room. Sakaura sleeps anywhere she pleases!

We have had a few less stressful days here but the cats are still at odds. I'm doing my best to stay calm and not let Snoopy's obstinate behavior make me angry with her. She's an old cat. She's had all sorts of health issues. It's not her fault that we mistakenly thought she was lonely.

On the other hand, we've had Sakaura long enough to have come to love her and there is no way we'd consider getting rid of her. So we will make adjustments and just hope for the best - for both of the cat girls.

Valium

The vet called me at work late this afternoon and said he'd call in a prescription for Valium. So we will try that.

When I got home Don said that when he came upstairs this afternoon he found Sakaura in Snoopy's bed, with Snoopy in her tent. Sakaura is getting brave!

I hope the medicine will calm the cat a bit. I am trying hard to be patient with her and try not to upset her and make her more afraid. But I get so annoyed at her. Some days I could just choke her!

It just gets worse

Snoopy was so scared yesterday she even refused to come and get her meals. We had to dig her out from under the bed, and when we did she was shaking so badly you could see it from across the room. She is petrified!

Sakaura is scared, too, but she is still brave enough to look for Snoopy before she attempts to walk down the hall and down the stairs to the litter box.

We have a call in to the vet to see if we can give Snoopy some sort of sedative to calm her down for a while and let her get used to having the other cat here. I don't know what to do anymore.

I'm past thinking they will ever be friends or companions, but I would like them to co-exist without all this drama.

The saga continues

Don thinks bringing Snoopy out into the living area and having her sleep on the sofa is productive to making her "normal" again. For the record, I don't think she was ever very "normal", but she was a bit more social pre-invasion of the Tiny Terror.

Anyway, this morning she was there, and he had left the room, and all of a sudden Sakaura jumped up into Snoopy's space, they hissed at each other, but did not actually touch, and then Sakaura jumped back to hide under the coffee table. Don said she'd been wanting to do this for some time - that when she walked past the bedroom where Snoopy was sitting on the bed, she'd sat at the doorway staring for a long period of time, deciding if it was a proper move, I'm sure :)

Snoopy's blood pressure must have gone through the roof, and later Don carried her back to her room. But she did not panic and try to find a place to hide. She sat there and faced her enemy - maybe a bit of progress.

I am ever hopeful.

I can only dream

Maybe one day my cats can "be friends" like these cats.

Early morning showdown

I really thought that the twice daily doses of Rescue Remedy were working well. Snoopy has gotten more independent and will move from room to room (somewhat) on her own with little prodding or coaxing.

Don said he heard screeching at 2 a.m., but I slept through that. But right before I left for work, Don had Snoopy out on the living room sofa and we both left the room. I was in the kitchen so I could see that Sakaura was ready for attack. Before I could grab the water bottle she jumped up on the sofa - slapped Snoopy and then jumped down. Snoopy freaked and jumped off the sofa and got behind and under it. This is something she could never have done before, but she's thinner and this could be a new hiding place.

I had to get the water bottle and spray her to get her out. She ran into her room and was hiding under the bed when I left.

They just don't get it. I thought Snoopy handled the attack well - she just stayed in her place BUT when she then slithered under the furniture, that proved my theory wrong. We were both all wet this morning!

Laser Light fun

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Rescue Remedy

Went to Whole Foods today to get some Rescue Remedy for Pets. They did not have that but the lady there told me that lots of people bought the "human" Rescue Remedy for their pets. So I bought some.

Snoopy totally freaked out earlier. But I am not sure it was the spray of RR in her mouth or the little "jacket" I tried to put on her. She does not like being dressed. I picked up this cheap little dog coat and thought it might keep her warm while her hair grows back out. But she totally freaked. So much for that bright idea!

Today is my birthday and we went to eat sushi at Minado in Natick, so I was near Whole Foods and was able to shop for the RR.

Big Meany!

I was just getting ready here to update the cat story with some positive news. It seems that there is a bit more peace here these days. Snoopy was out laying on the sofa. It was not here choice, but she has been letting Don bring her into the living room to "visit" without a lot of fussing and fighting.

Anyway, out of the blue, the big meany ran and jumped up in Snoopy's face - hissing and scratching - and just as quickly jumped back down and hid under the coffee table. < < < sigh > > > I guess we still have a long road ahead, but there are still many less encounters. And Snoopy has been a bit more aggressive when she does run into B.M.

I am planning a drive to Natick tomorrow to eat lunch and we will be very near Whole Foods. I think I'll stop there and see if they have Rescue Remedy for Pets. I've given up on Feliway, but there has to be something that will calm the air here.

Picky eaters

Actually it is just one picky eater. Sakaura will eat something one day and if you offer it again a few days later, she will turn up her nose at it.

Yesterday we got two cases of Fancy Feast - the standard mix and one of just salmon flavored food. She would have nothing to do with the new food. So I gave her some of one of the "standard" flavors. Nope. I gave her some of her pouched Purrfectly Fish that she usually loves. Nope.

Okay cat - I've had it. So I left the fish and she later ate most of it.

Given her way I'd be running a cat food buffet though.

Snoopy, on the other hand, is eating much too aggressively. If she continues to woof the food down and continues to lose weight, it means a trip to the vet to see if she has the same thyroid problem that Pepper had. There is just no end, is there?

Take me back, Mom!

That would be Sakaura's cry this morning. She is not a happy kitty. Today was another ear mite treatment, and then I decided it was time to clip the nails - all four paws. So she is now pouting under the coffee table. Her wounded pride won't last too long though. She'll be back giving us her innocent look.

Last night I caught Snoopy sitting in the bathroom giving Sakaura the raspberry (or at least it looks that way). She is still so afraid and tiptoes around trying to avoid running into her nemesis. Last night Don said he heard a "growl down" and went into Snoopy's bedroom and found Sakaura up on the bed with her - both of the growling loudly. I wish they would just get over it!

There was an actual clawing and scratching (and screeching) fight mid-week. It's not getting any better at all. But we keep hoping.

Today's mission is to find some sort of carrying basket for Snoopy - she hates to be held, but Don taxis her around up and down the stairs to protect her (he says). I had a basket for my yarn at one time that she loved to ride in, so I need to find another of those.

Peace and Quiet

Snoopy's hair is growing a little bit and she's overcome some of her shock of being "naked". She has not become the courageous cat that she appeared to be while under the influence of the anesthesia last week, but she's at least brave enough to come out and get her food.

She is laying out on top of the bed for a lot of the time and Sakaura has not been in tormenting her.

So we have relative peace even though for all practical purposes it appears that we have only one cat. Snoopy is either in "her bedroom" or the bathroom where we feed her. Don carries her down to the litter box morning and evening - otherwise she's a total hermit.

All about Sakaura

There won't be a lot of pictures of Snoopy since she spends her days (and nights) hiding. She always seems a bit shy after she's been stripped of all her hair, and I don't blame her. She really does look like some alien space creature lately.

Sakaura, on the other hand, remains the center of attention. She's always out and about, and there is nothing shy about her.

Peace has returned to the house as long as the cats are just left in their own spaces. Snoopy is brave enough to come out to be fed. We've had her sleeping on the sofa but she will not come out there on her own.

Don showed her the new water fountain this morning but she was not interested in it at all. So we will have the three water sources, but Sakaura will have the exclusive use of the fountain it seems.

They are sharing the litter box, and seem to be able to avoid a showdown in that space.

Life is good - as long as they stay separate. Guess we can't hope for much more at this point in time.

Back to "normal" - sigh

Snoopy's courage came from a heavy dose of anesthesia, and she's back to her fearful self again.

Sakaura, on the other hand, is becoming braver as the days pass.

I have given up on these cats ever being friends. I am just hoping now that they can come to co-exist and that Snoopy will emerge from her hiding spots and join the household again.

That may be a lot to ask of this cat. She's always been anti-social, and this newcomer is such a pesky little cat, that Snoopy's totally intimidated and not at all interested in getting to know her.

I couldn't resist snapping this photo of Sakaura last night. All she needs is the beer bottle and the remote control to look that that big white cat photo that circulates the net from time to time.

Don's brought Snoopy out to sleep on the sofa for a while. As long as we are all here these two will ignore each other. BUT if we leave them alone, all heck will break loose.

Since it's a snow day we will likely be able to monitor their behavior for most of the day.

Close encounter!

So Snoopy was so hungry when she came home and in her groggy state she staggered into the kitchen looking for food. Curious Sakaura could not resist sniffing of her, but she was not going to stand around and wait for Snoopy to finish eating. It's obvious that she is not nearly as brave as she tries to pretend she is.

Hunger was a driving force here. So what do we do? Keep Snoopy in a semi-starved state so she will come out from hiding?

She's actually come out several times - walking around like she's the top cat in the house.

But will it last? I feel that once she is no longer in her drug induced stupor she'll retreat back to the darkness under the bed. And once again Sakaura will have the upper hand.

I actually thought tonight they might both eat in the same area but that won't happen (yet anyway).

SPA Day

It won't exactly be an enjoyable SPA experience for Snoopy, since she will be sleeping, but today she goes in for a haircut and a bath. She'll come home all groggy, but clean!

Her hair has grown out and the big mats on her back have got to really make her uncomfortable. I tried using a Furminator and was able to get some of the out, but it really is almost impossible to groom this cat. And she does not groom herself once the long hair comes back.

This morning she was not supposed to eat but she must have been frightened badly because she did not even come out of her bedroom to attempt to cross over the hall to the bathroom where we feed her. Poor kitty.

She is usually most mellow after her haircut. It's almost like she feels pretty and wants to be out and be sociable with us humans again. I am wondering how all this will play out now that we have The Terminator in residence. The other two cats used to sniff at her and hiss and growl when she first came home from the vet. Things may be more tense than ever tonight.

Calgon, take me away!

Not enough hours in the day

I just was thinking I'd not updated this in several days. It seems I am always out of time.

The Kozy Kitty Klub is still not fully functional. They don't fight - but Snoopy lives in total fear and Sakaura makes sure she does not let her forget that SHE is the boss.

The water fountain arrived last night and I put it together. I wondered if Her Highness would drink from it but this morning while I was drinking my morning coffee I noticed her approaching it. As is her usual habit, once she'd eaten she'd run over and drink from the decorative fountain. She walked up and examined the new drinking water and all of a sudden she jumped back like she was afraid. It took me a minute to realize she'd seen her reflection in the black plastic fountain and thought there was a cat in there! She did drink but she sneaked around and drank from the side instead of head on. Silly cat!

Girls Just Want To Have Fun

That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun

Maybe not girls - maybe just girl. Sakaura so wants to play and I doubt she will ever get that wish fulfilled. Snoopy is just NOT a friendly cat. We knew that but thought maybe we'd teach her a new trick.
She will come out to the sofa IF someone carries her, but then she is afraid to leave, so she has to be carried back to her room. When she tries to make a move on her own, Sakaura rushes after her totally freaking her out.

Sakarua is bored! She is also a very picky eater. Yesterday we went to PetSmart in search of the Purina canned cat food that we'd brought home from Tufts for Snoopy. It was really pretty gross stuff - pieces of fish in aspic, but Snoopy loved it. I don't think we found it, but we did bring home an assortment of foods to try on the cats, and Miss Picky promptly turned her nose up at this morning's offering. Snoopy woofed it down, so I put Sakaura's serving back in the can and it can be Snoopy's dinner.

On a positive note they both ate the inexpensive Friskies that we tried last night. Of course, if I buy more than one can of that they likely will not want it.

We are creating two monsters here! They do give us an occasional chuckle though, and keep our home from being "just another piece of mundane architechture".

How to prevent cat fights

That is the subject of my research this morning. Earlier we had to literally force Snoopy upstairs to eat her breakfast which is most unusual for her. Then when she finished and thought she could sneak from the bathroom into her bedroom hideout, Sakaura spotted her and chased her under the bed.

But all my research says is give it time. I did find this interesting quote from one of the advice givers.

Just to give you some of my background experience with cats, when we lived in Las Vegas, my wife and I had a total of 42 cats. (not all at once) Only four of them were our regular "family." Needless to say we were cat lovers. My wife is now gone, but I still can't live without a cat. A home without a cat is just another piece of mundane architecture.

I really feel bad for Snoopy, but she is not in any danger. She is just afraid and all we can do is wait for her to realize that she doesn't need to be scared. Will that sink in? I am not sure but I will still hold out hope.

On a positive note, Sakaura let me clip her nails this morning. And we also put more ear mite drops in. During the night I heard her several times shake her head and scratch, so I know the mites are still bothering her. She's back to sleeping most of the night at my feet. And, seriously, who can resist this little face? The tongue just slays me!

So much for peaceful living

Just when I said the new litter box is working out, it's become a battle area it seems. This morning started out with cats running downstairs and upstairs and hissing and growling - they HATE each other.

When they are in the same room with us there to referee there are just these glaring looks. Sakaura is definitely the aggressor - and I think a lot of her aggression is simply the desire to "play". Of course, she may just be a very good actress and be a really mean cat. Time will tell.


There are moments when she can just lie there looking angelic. Right now Snoopy is in the bathroom - the lights are out, so I think she thinks she is hiding. Better there than under the bed. Sakaura is peacefully sleeping under the coffee table. But if either starts moving around the other will react. So much for thinking the plug -in diffuser makes any difference . It may though, and maybe they would kill each other if I unplug it. I am afraid to try that!

The Cat Police

I must get a video of Sakaura policing the house looking for her nemesis. She is hilariously funny, slinking around - sniffing in the air.

She really wants to play with Snoopy so bad, but the old grouch will have nothing of that (for now).

They manage to sleep quietly - even in the same space at times. But there is still fighting and squealing, and the ominous growling going on.

The one litter box is working though, which is wonderful. I was afraid the newbie would not take to the new litter box, but she has, and it is so much easier to keep clean!

What a spoiled kitty she is

Just ordered Miss Sakaura a water fountain. She will only drink from a decorative fountain I had put out for my fern - which she ATE and I had to move to the basement. I don't think the water in this fountain is really safe to drink long term, so I order this fountain for the princess.

Petmate® Deluxe Fresh Flow™ Pet Fountain Medium Black

Petmate® Deluxe Fresh Flow™ Pet Fountain Medium Black
Petmate® Deluxe Fresh Flow™ Pet Fountain Medium Black
Item# #029695248400
$24.39
Petmate Deluxe Fresh Flow Pet Fountain is a purifying fountain that adds oxygen, reduces bacteria and filters your pet's water. It has a translucent reservoir for water monitoring and automatically adds water as needed. This deluxe model has a medium capacity that holds 50 oz. of water. On/off switch with low voltage safety system which uses standard 120V outlet. Includes 2 replaceable charcoal filters for removing contaminants. Shipping weight: 4 1/2 lbs.

Back to work

My little chow hound will miss me today. She is such a beggar! And a nibbler.

Don said there was a battle going on downstairs around the litter box this morning. They are still requiring a police presence unless they are sound asleep!

Snoopy's hair is getting way too out of control, so she may get a day "off" and go to the vet for her lion cut. When she used to come home from her "day at the spa", the other two cats would hiss and growl at her, so this will be no different - just one cat hissing and growling.

I must remember to ask Don to make her appointment. Sakaura so far has been a good groomer and has no matted hair to contend with.

President's Day

I am off today for President's Day, but did we sleep late? No, we didn't but it was not on account of the cats (for a change). When I got up Sakaura was sitting in the middle of the kitchen where she has a good view of my bedroom, patiently waiting for signs of life. The minute I walked into the hallway, she was purring and rubbing against my legs.

I turned on the light in the kitchen and then peered into the living room and saw some big eyes staring back at me from the sofa. Snoopy had slept on the sofa again last night. She'd not voluntarily come out there, but she had stayed put and, I suppose, Sakaura must have slept under the table most of the night. Whatever - they were quiet!

I fixed the food and then had to offer Snoopy "police escort" in order for her to walk from the living room down the hall into her "dining room" (the bathroom). But we made it with no confrontations.

Later, I noticed Sakaura heading downstairs, and, since I suspected Snoopy was down there, I followed her down. Late yesterday we'd taken away the "regular" litter box and only left the seed litter box, so I was interested in seeing her reaction. She was most puzzled and sat and sniffed for some time before she jumped in and I heard loud scratching. I left and came back upstairs. A few minutes later, I heard this scream and Sakaura ran past me like a bat out of hell. Snoopy must have been down there.

So I went back and there she was - inside one of those kitty condo things that was strategically placed right outside the area where the litter box resides. I imagine when Sakaura walked by her she growled, and Miss Chicken took off running. Never a dull moment!


Yesterday when we left to go shopping, Sakaura's beau was sitting on top of Don's car. He did not want to budge - enjoying the warm sunshine from a high and dry vantage point. Don had to lift him off, since even starting the car and slowly moving in reverse did not even phase him. Poor kitty - he is all full of matts and hair balls.

But I do not need any more cats! I vacuumed with my Dyson Animal yesterday and was amazed at the amount of extra fur an extra cat produced.

Why am I up so early?

Don left a box and the packing material from a scale we purchased out in the hall last night, and at 5:30 Sakaura decided she needed to start wrestling with it. After several attempts to stop the racket and get back to sleep, we just got up.

Last night after dinner, Don brought Snoopy into the living area and put her on the sofa. She had to sniff the blanket Sakaura had made her own for about 10 minutes before she finally settled down to rest sit there. The two cats did manage to stay in the same general area with no fur flying, and when we went to bed Snoopy was still there on the sofa, with Sakaura under the dining room table.

After all the hubbub this morning, I turned on the lights in the living room and Snoopy was sitting on the sofa peering around the corner trying to see what all the noise was about. She immediately made her way to the spare bedroom to go under the bed until she realized I was getting out food for breakfast.

So that is sort of a bit of good progress. They've both eaten their fill, and Sakaura is again under the dining room table, and Snoopy's gone downstairs and Don says she's "sleeping on her own private futon".

Bed Buddy

Surprisingly enough, Sakaura has become my bed buddy again. Even after I treated her ears yesterday with the ear mite medication.

Last night when we turned off the tv and rolled over to go to sleep, we heard the screeching and screaming coming from the spare bedroom - or as it's more commonly called "the cat's bedroom". Snoopy had started the night sleeping on top of the bed instead of under it. So the Tiny Terror must have attempted to get into the bed with her.

I flipped on the lights and caught Snoopy all puffed up and growling at a cowering Sakaura who was making her escape. It's funny how brave she was until Snoopy stood her ground. Maybe this is how we will make progress.

So she may have come to sleep with me to keep her safe from the big bad Fat Kitty.

There is only one common ground for these two - food! No matter where they are hiding the magical sound of the pop top being pulled brings them both running and purring! Of course the come to a dead stop before actually meeting, but they are almost congenial at this point.

Tiny little wails

Snowy, icy day and I am working from home. Sakaura is sleeping on the sofa next to the love seat where I have my laptop set up.

From time to time she lets out these little meows - almost like wails. I am not sure what they mean. Is she dreaming - bad dreams? Or does she have some sort of pain somewhere?

She's not digging in her ears any more, but I think it's time for another few drops to make sure those mites are all dead and gone. She won't like that at all.

Just when we make a bit of progress we lose ground. I'm waiting for Don to finish his lunch so he can hold her while I "torture her". Poor baby.

She wants to play so bad

But Snoopy will have none of it. Don and I try to play with Sakaura, but she really really wants to romp and wrestle with old lady Snoopy.

She's taken to eating the Fancy Feast now so that is progress in that area. She still likes to cry and beg for food every time we go into the kitchen.

She's letting out these little cries when she sleeps sometimes and I am wondering if perhaps I need to put more drops in her ears. Not a pleasant thought, at all!

We have wretched weather forecast for the overnight and early morning. If things do not improve, I am likely to work from home tomorrow and I will attempt to get a peek in those ears then, if I don't feel brave enough tonight.

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Monday Madness

Sakaura was feeling her oats this morning for sure. Running from room to room - jumping at imaginary "bugs", chasing her tail - typical young cat stuff, but strange to the house of geriatric cats.

She was all about chasing Snoopy, who attempted to come out from under the bed for some treats. I gave her the treats, but once Tiny Terror realized that she was not hiding she had to run in and scare her back into the dark underworld again.

It was bitterly cold this morning, and lots of wind, making strange noises outside. I'm thinking this is what got Sakaura all riled up.

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Two weeks and two days later...

We have a miracle here! Okay I am not waiting for it to last long but they are actually sleeping together in Don's basement cave office.

Don came upstairs to alert me and we tiptoed down so I could actually see them sleeping together.

And it didn't last long because "Sporky" as Don now calls Sakaura just came back upstairs. I don't see any missing fur and no blood, and we didn't hear any screeches or screams, so she made a graceful departure. Are we getting there?

What's in a name?

Esme or Esmé is a name (usually a first or given name) which may or may not be spelt with an accent on the e. Although more commonly a feminine name there are examples of male Esmes.

The name possibly means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. Possibly originating from French root word 'aime' meaning like or love (as in j’aime). Esme, could also originate from Esmeralda meaning "emerald" in Spanish. In 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' by Victor Hugo, Esmeralda is the Gypsy girl loved by Quasimodo.

So the boys at Devereux School thought that Esmé was not an appropriate name and changed her name to Sakaura.

Sakura or Cherry Blossom (Japanese kanji and Chinese character: 桜 or 櫻; katakana: サクラ; hiragana: さくら) is the Japanese name for ornamental cherry trees, Prunus serrulata, and their blossoms.

I have a feeling that the veterinary records of this cat started when she was first taken in by the animal rescue officer and her estimated date of birth is 01-01-04, making her 4 years old instead of the 2 years old we were first told. She's still a kid, as her behavior prooves. So we did get the records and she has all her vaccinations, etc. up to date until the end of May.

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Up too early on Saturday

Yesterday when Don was getting garbage together Sakaura got into a box we'd brought stuff home from BJ's in. It's almost tempting to leave her in the box and toss her in the trash!

She was on the prowl again in the middle of the night...just enough to wake me and cause me to lie awake for hours afterward. Finally, I just gave up and got up for the day. The beauty of a Saturday is that if I need a nap, I can always take one later.

I got the toxic plants out of her reach, so let's see if she decides she wants to eat some of the other varieties. She's such a picky eater that it amazes me she wants to try to eat the green stuff.

Snoopy has positioned herself on the futon in Don's basement office. Sakaura went downstairs and walked all around but never spotted Snoopy, although Snoopy was well aware that her nemisis was roaming around. As long as these two stay out of each other's way, I hope we can have a peaceful weekend.

I was able to speak to the woman at the shelter about getting Sakaura's medical records. They are supposed to be "in the mail". Hopefully, we won't see that's she's been a patient in a cat insane asylum!

Fighting again!

So I bragged about the Aromacat Cat Nap and tonight when I got home from work the cats had their biggest squabble yet. It was way more than a squabble - there was screaming and clawing and I'm sure fur flying. I was trying to listen to my voice mail, and Sakaura took advantage of me not being there to "referee".


She is so devious! I don't know what to do except just hope that Snoopy does not get badly hurt since she has been declawed and is at a great disadvantage in these fights.

I hate the fact that she has taken to hiding under the bed most of the time. But I can't blame her with Big Meany waiting to pounce on her when she sticks her head out.

All the plants have been removed. Sakaura seems to be over her little tummy upset. I'm sure she will find something to get into overnight though. Last night she overturned a wastebasket. CALGON take me away. This is like having a toddler around.

Eating Plants!!

So the latest from the battlezone includes a nasty habit of eating plants! Rusty ate plants so I was always watchful. Snoopy's only ever been interested in silk plants so I have some plants in the house now that I've really not been very mindful of whether or not they were edible.

Yesterday Sakaura had a bit of diarrhea and this morning I woke to a little pile of fern leaves thrown up on the floor right near my spot on the sofa. So I moved the Boston fern, and today did a bit of research on poisonous vs. nonpoisonous plants.

I found this list that indicates that the fern is non-toxic but eating it could cause those symptoms. However, I did find a list of toxic plants that was most revealing and I will need to really make an effort to keep this cat away from some of the plants I now have. I brought an English ivy in trying to save it through the winter - and it is on the toxic list, as is my Peace Lily and my Aloe Vera.

I sent Don an email to move the ivy plant outdoors - the Aloe Vera is out of reach unless she does some climbing but I'll move it to a better place when I get home. I've not noticed her trying to nibble on the peace lily, but without her fern to graze on , it might be next.

Now I will worry all day that she's going to eat something that will really make her ill.

Sakaura - what a challenge you are!

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Aromatherapy?

Last night I stopped into Pet Barn near my house. It's a local store, not one of the big box chains. They have mostly organic foods, so I thought perhaps they might have the spray bottle of Feliway that I wanted to try along with the electronic diffuser I got at Petco. I looked all around and could not spot it, so I waited for the clerk behind the counter.

She did not have Feliway, but did have an assortment of "natural and holistic" remedies made locally, which I found interesting. I purchased a bottle of spray called "Cat Nap" which was basically made from chamomile and lavender. It has a nice scent, and I do think it may be helping.

Okay so the cats are not best buddies BUT there was no screeching, hissing, growling, etc. last night or this morning.

And the lady also gave me a bag of "organic catnip" that is being distributed by the owner of the Pet Store. I offered some to both Snoopy and Sakaura. Snoopy had no use for it, but Sakaura began to EAT it. I did some research online and apparently some cats will eat catnip, and also found that not all cats respond to catnip. It's a genetic thing. Who knew?

AND I just discovered another product that I may order from Cat Faeries. It is called Multi Cat Household Harmony. This could become a new obsession ... trading purses for cat home remedies.

I took new pictures this morning but time got away from me and I had to clean snow off my car which took up some extra time so I didn't get any uploaded. Will do that later today.

How did she do it?

How can a stranger cat come into your house and totally wrap you around her scratchy nailed paws?

• I need to be treating her for the ear mites but I can't stand to see her shaking her head and running and then hiding from us.

• I need for her to stop being like Attila the Hun and let poor timid Snoopy come back into the living area and spend time like she did before. But I can't lock her in the bathroom.

• I need for her to eat what I give her and not look at it and then follow me around crying for her beloved (smelly!) Purrfectly Fi$h.

But what I need is being overshadowed by her cuteness - this is one adorable cat and she knows it and I am sure she secretly basks in her success of making a fool of me.

I think the aroma therapy may be working on Snoopy - but not on Sakaura. But I'll not give up. There must be a way to tame her enough for Snoopy to rejoin the family again. If not, I will be on a huge guilt trip.

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3 o'clock in the morning?

That is when the scream came from the kitchen - I suppose the two cats crossed paths and Sakaura screamed - Snoopy growled (and ran and hid). So I tried to get back to sleep. Surely they will realize it is the middle of the night, right? Wrong. Sakaura walks across the dresser by my bed, knocking stuff around and then comes and sits and stares at me, purring LOUDLY. That won't work? How about jumping into the bed and walking around? Still not getting me up, cat!

Within the next hour, I hear all sorts of noises of destruction, causing me to get up to see what the heck was going on. Sakaura had managed to get into my hall closet/pantry and was nosing around, likely climbing! Anyway, once I was up, there was no way I'd ever get back to sleep, so I started the coffee.

I discovered that the dry cat food bowl was totally empty so that is the reason for the nocturnal prowling and yowling - must make a note to make sure there is always food in there. Sakaura is a grazer, and I guess she was just hungry.

It will be a LONG day here - yawn!

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Mad Kitty!

Miss Sakaura hates to have medicine put in her ears. She goes totally crazy wild. And then she goes and hides.

This makes me very sad. Last night was the first night since we brought her home that she did not spend the night at my feet.

If only she knew that we are trying to make her feel better.

The medicine says apply every two days so today is a day off. But I dread the thought of having to submit her to the "torture" again tomorrow.

On the other hand, we put a diffuser in Snoopy's room that will hopefully cut down on the cat confrontations. Jury is still out on that.

Ear Mites, ugh!

Is this gross or what? I've noticed Sakaura letting out little meows at times like she had a sharp pain and yesterday I saw her scratching her ears madly. A quick inspection confirmed what I thought - she has ear mites.

Snoopy brought ear mites into our house when we first got her at the pet store. I know it is common among cats and highly contagious, so probably the other cats at the shelter are infected. I'm wondering if I should call or if they know this and just failed to mention it?

Anyway some Googling for remedies led me to run to CVS to pick up a little ear washing bulb and some mineral oil. First application last night was not welcomed by Miss Priss. In fact, I got a nasty scratch from the deal.

Today I will try to clean her ears again and we may go up to Petco to see if the over-the-counter remedy looks promising. Otherwise, it's off to Dr. K a bit earlier than we'd planned.

We wanted to have her veterinary records to bring to our vet, but we don't have those yet. I may have to get Don to call the shelter folks tomorrow to remind them we are still waiting for those, and at that time he could tell them about the ear mites.

I've checked Snoopy's ears and don't see a problem, but I may put some drops in her ears as a precaution.

Oh the joys of bringing a new cat into the household.

Quiet Saturday . . . shhhhh

Don't tell the cats but they slipped up this morning and didn't wake us! Of course, after the early bedtime due to yesterday's "alarm clock event" we woke way early on our own.

Sakaura is getting braver and braver. Today she was in Snoopy's "room" - which should be off limits to her - but that's hard. We have a really open living arrangement here that is not easy to isolate these cats from each other.

Again, I am hoping that they will either learn to like each other, or, if not, tolerate each other and STOP the growling!

The mission for today will be to try to find some sort of replacement for Sakaura's Purrfectly Fish - too pricey and she is going to learn that if she can't eat something a bit more thrifty, she'll just eat dry cat food. She is certainly prone to spoiling!

She's a strange one - and now only drinks from a decorative fountain that I have on my hearth to humidify the air for the Boston fern I am trying to keep over this winter.

And she's a sap for catnip. Rusty loved catnip, too. She has a lot of his characteristics, but she has coloring like our Pepper. BUT she has a personality of her own. She really does think she is the cat's meow!

Cat alarm clocks!

So just when we got them together with little or no fanfare, it all falls apart again. Last night they slept on their separate spots in the living room until it was bedtime and then Sakaura took her spot in the bed right at my feet. Snoopy sleeps in "her bedroom", but normally comes out into the hallway around 3 or so to wait for us to get up.

At about 4:15 there came the most God awful screams and screeches as Sakaura decided that she did not like Snoopy laying in that spot and she chased her back into the bedroom. There was no point at that hour for us to try to get back to sleep, so up we got, and today it was all about yawning.

I did come home early since we had some icy rain falling. Right now Snoopy is downstairs with Don and Sakaura is asleep on the sofa. She's already come into the kitchen when I was putting on some rice for dinner and begged to be fed. I swear she'd eat round the clock if allowed. Except she just likes to nibble. I think she just likes the attention of getting new food, not the actual consumption of if. She is a strange little cat.