The Adventures of the Destructo-Cats
Have I mentioned here the deal with the cats? I mentioned that my sister April brought them over when she came to babysit while Steven and I went on the Pioneer trek. I don't think I explained all the details. April's husband Dean left in May for a year's tour of duty in Afghanistan. April moved out of her house on base and moved in with my other sister Heather in Colorado Springs. Heather's husband is allergic to cats so she couldn't keep the cats with her there, so we took them in. When Dean returns and April and Dean find a home of their own that accepts cats, they will get the bigger cats, Ishmael and Abish, back. We will keep the kittens, Moroni and Lamoni, who are now as big as their mother. In the meantime, we have four cats in the house.
We love the cats. They are soft and cuddly sometimes. They are all young and playful and provide hours and hours of entertainment, chasing strings, marbles, wiggling fingers, whatever. Ishmael loves me and frequently when I am lying down reading he will climb into the crook of my arm, bury his face in my hair and drool into my armpit. Abish will occasionally climb up and sit on my chest, effectively blocking my view of my book. Lamoni will lie down next to me within easy petting distance and purr loudly. Moroni will sometimes come close and endure being petted, but is as likely to attack my hand as submit to a pet. They are all loveable.
I understand that cats inherently abhor a closed door. Steven and I don't appreciate cats walking and pouncing on us while we sleep, so we close our bedroom door when we go to bed at night. Abish and Ishmael don't appreciate this, and so they have proceeded to dig a whole in the carpet under our bedroom door. I've tried squirting them with a spray bottle of vinegar under the door, and they will run away for a minute, but return to making the loud popping noises that come with ripping all the tufts of carpet out of the mesh that is supposed to hold them. We've taken to closing the two cats in the hall bathroom when we go to bed at night, and since then the bare spot hasn't grown too much under our bedroom door, but the carpet just outside the bathroom (within reach of little paws stuck under the door) has started to thin.
Steven and I like plants. We bought a ficus several years ago, and since then have started several others from cuttings from the original plant. We used to have them strung across our window sill. When we bought our new van last year, the dealership sent us another potted plant as a thank you gift. Since the cats arrived, these plants have lived in terror of their lives. The cats seem to think the windowsill is their personal domain, so they can watch the squirrels outside I suppose. The plants were knocked over and dirt spilled on the carpet. The larger, heavier plants provided dirt for the cats to dig in, and occasionally deposit a smelly pile in. The plant from the dealership had it's leaves pulled out and eaten. When summer became warm enough we brought the plants outside to protect them from the attentions of the cats. The house looked kind of bare and drab without them, but at least they were alive. The weather is turning colder now. The dealership plant had to be brought inside. I placed it on top of the piano, but one morning while I was taking the kids to school, it got knocked down. We picked it up, but the poor thing is looking bedraggled and forelorn. It may snow this afternoon and I need to bring the ficus in as well, but I don't know what to do with them. Where can I put them where they will be safe?
There used to be a small dent in the wall in the hallway where something had dinged it. I don't know what it was, and it never bothered me until it started growing. The cats had discovered it and for whatever reason decided to enlarge it. They would leap up and snag it with their paws, and thereby remove chunks of plaster and then drywall. Maybe they were trying to use it as a foot hold to climb the wall. But for whatever reason the hole has grown in size and depth to become an eyesore every time I walk down the hall.
There are other minor things they do from time to time. They sharpen their claws on our couch and chair, but since the furniture is on its last legs anyway I don't really care at this point. Those claws snag on other things too - like clothing and blankets. They don't seem to understand that the table and counters are taboo. The kittens have a problem with using the litterbox if it gets a bit too crowded, and since that is one of the kids' least favorite chores, and we have four cats using one litterbox, that happens if the kids miss just one day. So I have to check one particular corner of Hannah's room and the closet in the boys' room for smelly piles frequently.
We love these cats, and we enjoy the hours of entertainment they provide. I just wish I was better at training them out of their destructive tendencies.
We love the cats. They are soft and cuddly sometimes. They are all young and playful and provide hours and hours of entertainment, chasing strings, marbles, wiggling fingers, whatever. Ishmael loves me and frequently when I am lying down reading he will climb into the crook of my arm, bury his face in my hair and drool into my armpit. Abish will occasionally climb up and sit on my chest, effectively blocking my view of my book. Lamoni will lie down next to me within easy petting distance and purr loudly. Moroni will sometimes come close and endure being petted, but is as likely to attack my hand as submit to a pet. They are all loveable.
Ishmael (black), Lamoni (white feet) and Moroni (all orange) at feeding time
My issue with them is that they are Destructive! (Note the capital D!) Here are some examples:I understand that cats inherently abhor a closed door. Steven and I don't appreciate cats walking and pouncing on us while we sleep, so we close our bedroom door when we go to bed at night. Abish and Ishmael don't appreciate this, and so they have proceeded to dig a whole in the carpet under our bedroom door. I've tried squirting them with a spray bottle of vinegar under the door, and they will run away for a minute, but return to making the loud popping noises that come with ripping all the tufts of carpet out of the mesh that is supposed to hold them. We've taken to closing the two cats in the hall bathroom when we go to bed at night, and since then the bare spot hasn't grown too much under our bedroom door, but the carpet just outside the bathroom (within reach of little paws stuck under the door) has started to thin.
Steven and I like plants. We bought a ficus several years ago, and since then have started several others from cuttings from the original plant. We used to have them strung across our window sill. When we bought our new van last year, the dealership sent us another potted plant as a thank you gift. Since the cats arrived, these plants have lived in terror of their lives. The cats seem to think the windowsill is their personal domain, so they can watch the squirrels outside I suppose. The plants were knocked over and dirt spilled on the carpet. The larger, heavier plants provided dirt for the cats to dig in, and occasionally deposit a smelly pile in. The plant from the dealership had it's leaves pulled out and eaten. When summer became warm enough we brought the plants outside to protect them from the attentions of the cats. The house looked kind of bare and drab without them, but at least they were alive. The weather is turning colder now. The dealership plant had to be brought inside. I placed it on top of the piano, but one morning while I was taking the kids to school, it got knocked down. We picked it up, but the poor thing is looking bedraggled and forelorn. It may snow this afternoon and I need to bring the ficus in as well, but I don't know what to do with them. Where can I put them where they will be safe?
Abish looking out the window
There used to be a small dent in the wall in the hallway where something had dinged it. I don't know what it was, and it never bothered me until it started growing. The cats had discovered it and for whatever reason decided to enlarge it. They would leap up and snag it with their paws, and thereby remove chunks of plaster and then drywall. Maybe they were trying to use it as a foot hold to climb the wall. But for whatever reason the hole has grown in size and depth to become an eyesore every time I walk down the hall.
There are other minor things they do from time to time. They sharpen their claws on our couch and chair, but since the furniture is on its last legs anyway I don't really care at this point. Those claws snag on other things too - like clothing and blankets. They don't seem to understand that the table and counters are taboo. The kittens have a problem with using the litterbox if it gets a bit too crowded, and since that is one of the kids' least favorite chores, and we have four cats using one litterbox, that happens if the kids miss just one day. So I have to check one particular corner of Hannah's room and the closet in the boys' room for smelly piles frequently.
Lamoni looking innocent
This morning I got up to take a shower and discovered a gaping hole in the shower curtain. Apparently the cats had been trying to climb the curtain by digging their claws into it, and the curtain ripped. So this morning I had to make a trip to the store to purchase a new one. How do I keep the cats from climbing the shower curtain? I would think the moisture on the curtains would be a deterrent, but apparently not. These cats don't seem to mind getting wet, whether with vinegar or water.We love these cats, and we enjoy the hours of entertainment they provide. I just wish I was better at training them out of their destructive tendencies.
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