Homeless Cat -- Now Spotacus' Legacy
On 18 Dec, a very large cat showed up at our house. It was late and cold, and he looked in the door and made it clear he wanted inside. Well, since we have two cats already and he was a stranger, we...
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Spot finally recovered from the bladder infection, but his potty discipline is still all over the place. He seems now to be peeing or spraying when he doesn't get something he wants, like to go outside right then or to get a treat. Spraying him with lemon water doesn't work; he likes the flavor. So we put cloves into the water -- maybe he won't like that flavor. I've almost used up an entire gallon of Wee Cleaner, cleaning up after him, and we've actually had to close off a third of the house so he can't get in there unseen. It also cut Alex off from one of his favorite napping spots, but he's simply moved back to our bed and is fine.
For now, if Spot wants to stay outside, I'm fine with that. At least he's not inside spraying or peeing on something. We have a Feliway diffuser right beside his tree in our bedroom, and I've not seen him acting out in our bedroom since, so it might be having some effect. We have lots of Feliway spray, so I'll be going around the house spraying every day. Also, when I yell, he stops doing whatever it was immediately and goes straight to his Litter Robot, so I know this is just him being a hard-headed former tomcat.
Right now, he and Alex are asleep. It was raining buckets when we all woke up, and the wind is high now, so they did not enjoy being outside.
Something very odd happened last night, while I was still working at the library. WLToo said Spot had been asleep in a porch chair. WLToo heard something and went to the door. He saw Mama Doe Lassie backing off the porch, while Spot was on the porch in front of her, in full prep for launch mode, crouched, ears flat back. Mama Doe Lassie looked at WLToo like, "What? Did I do something? What's going on?"
WLToo thinks she may have come up on the porch, saw Spot asleep in the chair, and snuffled him, which would have startled him awake and caused that reaction. Anyway, as soon as WLToo opened the door, they both relaxed. Spot stood up, chirped, and came inside. MDL looked at WLToo again, then strolled away. And I missed the whole thing...
The orioles are still trying to get into the hummingbird feeder, although not near as often as when they first arrived. A wasp is being more successful; it's not been aggressive, so I'm not going to leap out there and squash it -- it doesn't eat much.
It's lunchtime. Later, y'all.
For now, if Spot wants to stay outside, I'm fine with that. At least he's not inside spraying or peeing on something. We have a Feliway diffuser right beside his tree in our bedroom, and I've not seen him acting out in our bedroom since, so it might be having some effect. We have lots of Feliway spray, so I'll be going around the house spraying every day. Also, when I yell, he stops doing whatever it was immediately and goes straight to his Litter Robot, so I know this is just him being a hard-headed former tomcat.
Right now, he and Alex are asleep. It was raining buckets when we all woke up, and the wind is high now, so they did not enjoy being outside.
Something very odd happened last night, while I was still working at the library. WLToo said Spot had been asleep in a porch chair. WLToo heard something and went to the door. He saw Mama Doe Lassie backing off the porch, while Spot was on the porch in front of her, in full prep for launch mode, crouched, ears flat back. Mama Doe Lassie looked at WLToo like, "What? Did I do something? What's going on?"
WLToo thinks she may have come up on the porch, saw Spot asleep in the chair, and snuffled him, which would have startled him awake and caused that reaction. Anyway, as soon as WLToo opened the door, they both relaxed. Spot stood up, chirped, and came inside. MDL looked at WLToo again, then strolled away. And I missed the whole thing...
The orioles are still trying to get into the hummingbird feeder, although not near as often as when they first arrived. A wasp is being more successful; it's not been aggressive, so I'm not going to leap out there and squash it -- it doesn't eat much.
It's lunchtime. Later, y'all.
