This month’s cat vocabulary is the word purr. It’s wonderful word to describe that sound cats make when they are typically very relaxed. They can be happy and meditating while they are purring.
We can get their motor running or get them purring when we pet them gentle. They can purr when they cuddle up to us. They can even purr with their eyes half closed when we tell them out loud that we love them.
So, our part of our experiment has failed on this current site. The one that has to be paid for. (sirsockslechat.com) We didn’t get any charities to promote. One talked to us and then we heard nothing else from them. One just wanted to talk about dogs and forgot about the cats. Others just didn’t plain respond.
We haven’t received donations after we got this paid site up and running. We have no money coming in to pay for this site. We also don’t get enough hits on the site every month to have paid advertising. So, that was also a failure. We do get hits. Just not enough to do these other things we wanted to do with the online magazine.
So, this issue is the last one on this site. The site is going down later this month. (October 2019) However, we still have our backup site at sirsockslechatvideo.blog. So, all the articles will be found there.
We do plan on keeping the magazine going a little while longer. At least long enough to serialize my memoirs. We will still post how many copies Cat Tales of the Frisky9 Scarf Army sells. We also want to put another Cat Tales book about the Ambassacats out to benefit Battersea. Hopefully, Gladstone will be ready to rally the ambassacats as my girl gathers all the information and pictures for the book.
Please continue to enjoy my magazine and my memoirs. There’s still more to come.
Well, it took some time to train my girl. I know I was the first cat she had ever lived with and she didn’t know much about how to take care of cats in general. At first I had to reminder her to clean out my litter box, fill up my food bowl, and to pet me. My goodness. But at least she listened to me. She did give me what I needed when I asked for it.
But she didn’t always understand what I said to her. I tried by repeating the same word for her until she got it. I don’t know why she has that problem. She’s not stupid or slow. She usually is quite smart and understood when something was wrong. She would then do her best to solve the problem.
She once told me to call her “Ali.” I am quite good with language. I am quite a vocal cat. I talk more than the average cat. This talking thing does work. You just might have to do a lot of it before the humans get your meaning. Well, I listened carefully to her. She knew I could understand what she said to me. She is one of the few who will sit down and actually talk to me as the person I am.
I’m glad she understands I’m a person and not an object. So, when she told me her name, I listened carefully. I memorized the sounds. As a cat, I don’t have the same vocal organs as humans have, so I can’t speak any human language as well as humans can. But I was able to learn her name. Yes, I could call her “Al-lee.” She understood me and got excited when she heard me say her name to her. She was talking on the phone to someone at the time and it stopped her talking to whoever it was.
She was quite impressed by it. It was hard for me to say “Ali” all the time I needed something. So, eventually I just called her “Al.” It was much easier for me. She still understood me without any trouble. She is the one person who defended me to others who claimed I was too stupid to know how to talk. She asserted because she knew me well enough that indeed I knew her name and understood her as well as understanding how I had to talk to her so she could understand me as well.
The language barrier we started out with was the hardest part of my training of her. Once we got past that, we were fine. We were able to live with each other and communicate effectively. Never mind how much we fought at times. At others, we were very happy with each other.
However, even after getting past the language barrier, I couldn’t tell her how to do everything. She had learn on her own. I watched her carefully, and she did quite well. That’s how I know she’s smart. She can figure lots of things out. She was able to give me what I needed. I never had anyone like this in my life before. Others just wouldn’t understand or even try to make things better for me. They would just leave. They would complain that I was just too whiny.
I’m glad she learned how to take care of me and kept listening to me. I did have valid complaints that she took care of. She got be to so good at taking care of me that I became quiet. For once in my life, someone understood what it was like to be me. I wasn’t complaining just to complain, or because I was whiny, but because I had valid complaints.
My girl also has an excellent memory. Once she learned what I needed, she was able to remember when to take care of what she needed to take care of for me. I no longer had to remind her of what she needed to do. She just remembered and I could be quiet knowing she would take care of everything.
Her mother couldn’t believe how quiet I had become. But my girl knew the reason. She knew she had learned how to take such good care of me. That’s all that mattered in the end. It was the main reason I was able to become an indoor cat without any complaints. I knew she’d take care of me. I no longer had to fight other cats. I was happy living with her.
Besides, I was getting older and I was having trouble with my teeth and claws. Not a good thing as a cat who wants to live outside. Not when you have to fight off other cats or even defend yourself from dogs. I didn’t have to deal with those things anymore. I no longer had to hunt. I have regular meals and plenty of love and attention whenever I ask for them.
So, I stopped going outside and became solely an indoor cat. I have never regretted my decision even though I have lost some amount of freedom I once had. Now I could stay at home in a safe place all day. I had someone who understood my needs and just took care of them without any complaints.
I was very blessed. I just had to teach her what she needed to know. She was willing and able to learn. That’s all mattered. She had earned my trust so completely, that I never want to be separated from her ever again.
It has come to my attention that we may not have enough features every month. We didn’t have any featured monthly cat charities. That makes me sad. As a cat who has needed extra care, I could have ended up just living on the street. Instead my mother raised my three brothers and me in a woodpile in a backyard. We were all taken in by humans who cared for us.
But I can’t honestly say the same happens for others cats. I do know things could have gone differently for Spot if my girl hadn’t brought him home. He’s lucky he had the two of us. I taught him all about being an upstanding cat in today’s world. And what would have happened to Isis if my girl didn’t let her move in? That black cat would have been homeless!
So, if you are interested, then please contact us via the contact page and let us know you would like to have your own featured column and what you want to write about more specifically than just as a cat or about cats. Unfortunately, our funding is so low we cannot pay you, but your voice will be heard. Sometimes that’s all we cats want is for someone to listen to us.
So, if we publish your work, feel free to tell the world. Promote your work and this magazine at the same time. We’re all in this together.
This is the last financial report for this magazine. This site is going down next month, but our backup site will be up an running at Sir Socks Le Chat magazine.
Summary for September:
no money in or out
over 1535 hits on the blog
about 683 people get the posts emailed to them
54 people follow via WordPress
66 copies sold; US$471.50 raised for Dingo Venezia from Cat Tales of the Frisky9 Scarf Army
It’s hard being a full-time cat and doing a good job at it. A lot of people overlook just how time-consuming and exhausting it really is, especially if, like me, you have a large territory to lord over responsibly. Not every cat has the position of emperor like I do, and let me tell you, it is a huge task to undertake each and every day. But I never shy away from my duties. I am emperor for a reason, and I always strive to show my subjects excellent leadership.
From dawn to dusk and through the night, I am always hard at work maintaining my empire to the best of my ability. It might look like I nap a lot, but I always have one eye open, and I am ready to leap up at a second’s notice whenever anyone needs me. Day in and day out, I have a long list of areas I have to oversee and manage:
Kitchen activities. I always keep a watchful gaze over cooking and food prep, to make sure that imperial standards are upheld. I frequently have to taste-test what the kitchen produces to ensure it is of top-notch quality.
Water usage. Whenever water is used in my home, I have to check to ensure that the pipes are working correctly and that the water is of satisfactory taste, temperature, and quality. This includes bathtubs, sinks, and toilets — if I hear a flush, you know I’ll come running to do my job!
Trash services. I have to routinely inspect the trash to make sure that items are being disposed of correctly and that food is not being accidentally thrown away. Oftentimes, my kitchen staff will mistakenly toss something that is still edible — or at least partially edible — and I have to rectify those situations.
Cleanliness. I have to make sure that all quarters remain clean and up to standards. I routinely have to clear out dust, cobwebs, spiders, bugs, lint, and other odds and ends that pile up in the corners. I also make a point of licking the kitchen floor at least once a day, to clear it of oil, crumbs, and other bits of food that slip out of the kitchen staff’s hands.
Security. One of my most time-consuming jobs is patrolling the premises and making sure that my empire’s defenses have not been breached. I have to check all windows, doors, and other points of entry to make sure they are still secure. I try to mark them with my scent to let outsiders know this is the boundary of my territory, although my human doesn’t seem to understand my efforts.
Day watch/night guard. Another extremely time-consuming job is to keep watch over the empire and keep an eye out for potential threats or intruders. I have several perches throughout my empire where I post myself for my watch sessions. These sessions are extremely fatiguing and have to be broken up with naps, but even then, I always sleep with my senses honed and ready for action.
Between all of these duties, I hardly have time for myself. I’m lucky if I can fit in time to play and time to clean myself. It’s certainly an exhausting job, keeping this empire running right and making sure my humans are safe, but it’s worth it in the end. I am, after all, Emperor Julius, and this is my duty on this earth.
Disclaimer: the staff writers here are not vets nor are they qualified to give medical advice. This article’s purpose is strictly to share stories/information and should not be used for diagnostic purposes. Please take your cat to the vet if you suspect anything might be wrong with them. Your vet will know best what to do in your specific situation.
Cats, just like all of us, benefit from regular playtime. Not only does playtime keep your cat physically fit (the exercise will promote them to build muscle and improve their circulation), it will also provide them mental stimulation, keep them from getting bored, and give them a chance to bond with you over fun activities. Exercise is an important part of keeping your cat healthy and happy.
Common toys that cats enjoy include: small toys that resemble prey, such as catnip-stuffed mice or birds, feather wands, and tinkle balls. You can find a wide range of cat toys for sale in most stores. Cats don’t necessarily need special-made kitty toys to have fun, though–many cats also enjoy playing with crinkly paper or toilet paper tubes, which can be found regularly around the house.
It’s important to remember to always supervise your cat when they’re playing, just to make sure they are staying safe. It’s also important to not allow your cat to play with sharp objects that could injure them, as well as items that they could swallow, such as ribbons and rubber bands. Vets also recommend that cats stay away from playing with string and yarn, especially if they are unsupervised. Although these are popular cat toys, they can cause serious internal harm if eaten, and your cat could also get themselves tied up or otherwise entangled in the yarn in dangerous ways. Again, it’s important to keep an eye on your cat while they’re playing. Plus, who wouldn’t want to join in the fun? Playing regularly is good for both you and your feline friend. Stay safe and have fun!
Uh, I didn’t expect this. The blind guy was never this affectionate. Why would I think she would ever want to kiss me? She likes to kiss me on my head. I love the petting, but the kissing is too much. She even likes to pick me up and hold as if I’m a human baby. It’s just too much. I hate to be picked up. I do like to sit on her lap, but not when she wants to hold on to me. No, that’s just too much.
I like to sleep cuddled up to her, but not when she wants to hold on me too. I am not a stuffed animal. I’m a real animal. I’m alive. Spot, the kitten she bottle fed, liked to be held by her a lot. But I never did. I just don’t understand her need to be so affectionate. I kept asking her to stop and she would every time. But still I never knew when she would do it again.
Would a child of her have own been better for her than me? I don’t know. I know the kitten helped. He loved it more than I ever did. I guess she just wanted to treat us fairly. I know she loves me, but that kind of affection was just going way too far.
I don’t know if my girl wants a child of her own. As far as I understand she could still have one. I don’t know if she will. She doesn’t act like she likes to have human guys around for more than friendship. She certainly didn’t bring anyone home either. Not that we typically had many visitors as we did at my first home.
However, I did see a glimpse that some guys found her attractive. She didn’t respond well to them. I don’t know what it was. Perhaps she just didn’t like those sorts of guys? I don’t know what she goes for. I do know she’s a crazy cat lady and has no problem with being around cats.
I do know her fairly well now. I think she prefers cats over guys. She is certainly happy with at least one cat around. She can be too isolated and alone too much of the time. She keeps to herself and does what she can to take care of herself and any cats she lives with.
I do love my girl. I just never thought it would mean that I would have to put up with kisses on occasion. Ugh. What was also bad was that she tended to pet other cats when she was out. It used to make me so mad and jealous! I couldn’t understand why she would go and pet other cats. Then I learned she just loves cats in general very much. I learned to live with it as long as she pets me too.
At least she loves me. If she didn’t, I’m not sure I could have put up with her behavior. She does give me plenty of attention and affection. She even takes some time everyday, no matter how busy she is, to pet me and shower me with lots of love, attention, and affection. She even compliments me. I love those times. Sitting or lounging on her lap as she pets me gently and tells me how much she loves me and why she loves me.
I loved it when my whirlwind of a girl was calm and gentle. It was better than when she was hyper and chasing me around our place. Or picking me up and cuddling with me. I suppose if she didn’t love as much as she does, I would be much too lonely.
Sometimes when I was way too curmudgeonly, she would get out a damp washcloth and rub me down with it. As soon as the washcloth was on me, I was completely quiet and relaxed. She knew how to massage me! I never even told her about that. Well, I didn’t even know about it myself. I had no idea about massage and how we cats needed it done.
I doubt I could have been as lucky with others who couldn’t stand how whiny I was. But my girl took care of me and loved me truly. Even if she tended to take it too far. I suppose I have gotten used to it now.
We cats have amazing paws. Usually we have four unless something happens in the womb or later in life. We usually land on all four paws when falling or jumping. Sometimes things go wrong. Perhaps because I live with a klutz I caught some of it from her…
Or whatever the reason, usually we do land on all four paws. That’s where we hide our claws when we don’t need to bare them for any reason. We walk on our paws. We can box with our forepaws.
I have been known to impress my girl with my athletic prowess. She’s a klutz and has never been that coordinated in her life. She tries to focus and I think she has improved somewhat, but she’s not as good as I am. So, when she’s watched me jump and land perfectly on my paws, she is wowed by it.
She’s seen me jump over her bed while she was lying in it. She saw me just before I landed in the position I would land in. I ended up half standing half sitting. I was also trying to get away from Spot at the time. *Sigh.* He was annoying me with how playful he was at that time.
But at least I impressed my girl with my landing on all four of my paws.
This month’s cat vocabulary is the term the cat’s whiskers which is an expression for a good thing. Of course a cat’s whiskers are good. They look great on the cat and keep them balanced no matter what physically activity they may be doing at the time.
It must have been one of those expressions thought up by a crazy cat person. Why else say something is good by simply saying it’s the cat’s whiskers?
Sir Socks Le Chat 